Suzanne Valadon, a young model for famous artists like Renoir, turned inspiring painter, shaped and shifted the way the female Nude is portrayed in art by turning its subject into one of power, owned sensuality, and powerful realism that celebrates the mundane. As she is one of very few female artists making a name for herself at this time, she fled the traditional overly idealized female nude for that of the everyday women she was surrounded by. By doing this she rejects the need to please the male gaze and gives the viewer a piece that is honest and sincere. She displays this through the use of sharp brushstrokes, rich color, and a profound grasp of the female form.
This Curation exhibits the multiple ways in which the female nude is depicted by Suzanne Valadon. She portrays intimate close scenes, everyday life, vivacious and vibrant worlds, and continues to show a well-rounded depiction of womanhood. One of the ways she accomplishes this is by using women she knows, as well as herself to show all variations of the female body. In choosing “everyday” women she shows many different body types as opposed to the classic model type. Through this curation we can see Valadon's development and variations of the female nude, all cloaked with both defiance and innovation.
Suzanne Valadon, The Blue Room, 1923, oil on canvas, Dimensions 90 cm × 116 cm (35 in × 46 in), Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris
The blue room challenges the viewer's visual archive of a reclining Venus. Instead of seeing a slim, nude, and young female figure, we see a fully clothed full-figured older female still in the reclining position. Valadon rebels against the reclining venus while still paying homage to the style that came before her. Her use of the deep Vibrant blues, and sharp black lines counter the softer lines and dulled colors often used in other female nudes. By making this choice the woman defies submission and embraces the simplicity of solitude. Another parallel to point out is the book at the foot of her bed. In other reclining venues we may see a dog, or another form of iconography to let us know that this woman is loyal property. By using the books we see this woman is independent and secure in that.
Suzanne Valadon, The Abandoned Doll, 1921; Oil on canvas, 51 x 32 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay
The abandoned doll meets the viewer with many complexities. We see a young adolescent in the midst of a growing and developing body. Valadon portrays the awkwardness surrounding this time with interesting bodily proportions. The young girl turns away from the doll on the floor, recognizing her shift from childhood to adolescence. The viewer is let in on a snapshot in time in the young girls and older women's lives. The young girl is known to be Suzannes niece, again showing her use of everyday women as opposed to models. The older woman is still unknown.
Reclining Nude, Suzanne Valadon (French, Bessines-sur-Gartempe 1865–1938 Paris), 1928, Oil on canvas (lined), 23 5/8 × 31 11/16 in. (60 × 80.5 cm),Paintings, Robert Lehman Collection, 1975, Object Number: 1975.1.214
In the reclining Nude we are met with a simple yet subtly complex reclining female on a sofa. Again Valadon is challenging what a reclining nude “should” look like. We are let in on a more naturalized look of a woman reclining on a sofa. We see a roundness of her belly and legs that we don't often see shown in female nudes. The curved lines of her body meet the softness of the couch cushions and then are contrasted with the sharper lines of the couch.The figure confronts the viewer with her gaze, making you feel as though you should not be looking at this private moment. Many speculate that this painting was for political purposes or pushing a female agenda, but scholars warn against putting the current feminist narrative where it doesn't belong.
Naked with a striped blanket, Suzanne Valadon, 1922; Paris, FrancePost-Impressionism, nude painting, oil, canvas, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France
To see a black woman as a venus figure, is the epitome of defiance and innovation at the time. A venus figure was traditionally a very light skin woman who was a picture of immortality, godliness and beauty. Meanwhile darker skinned women were seen as having an animalistic sexuality. As opposed to being seen as beyond human they were often degraded to a less than human status. This Venus, unlike others at the time, confronts us with her gaze, a theme we have begun to see across Valadon's works. Her hand covers her pubic area both protecting it as well as drawing attention to it. This is one of the first times we see Valadon paint a nude figure outside. This both connects the figure with nature as well as calls back to older depictions of a Venus figure being one with a natural setting.
Joy of Life, Suzanne Valadon (French, Bessines-sur-Gartempe 1865–1938 Paris),1911, Oil on canvas, 48 3/8 x 81 in. (122.9 x 205.7 cm),Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot (1876–1967), 1967.Object Number: 67.187.113
The Joy of life is the epitome of shifting away from the male gaze to the female gaze. The male viewer seems to have no other purpose than to represent the male gaze. If the male viewer were not in the painting we would have four nude women in nature. By his presence we see four different reactions, in fact each figure seems to be separate from one another. All the figures also seem to be separate from nature suggesting things are not the way they should be.
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