Suzanne Valadon. Artist, Muse and Mother.

Suzanne Valadon (1865 – 1938) was a French painter. She became the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. She is also the mother of painter Maurice Valadon Utrillo.

The daughter of an unmarried laundress, she was a poor, uneducated child of the streets of Paris. From the age of 9 Suzanne supported herself by doing odd jobs, and being an extremely beautiful girl she found much work as a model before becoming a noted painter herself. The main reason for modelling was the desire to observe and learn the artists’ techniques. She modelled for Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pierre-Cécile Puvis de Chavannes, Amedeo Modigliani and others. In the early 1890s she befriended Edgar Degas who, purchased some of her works and encouraged her efforts.
She was said to have had affairs with many artists she posed for and worked with. They all admired her personality and free spirit, and were happy to be her friends and teachers. 
At the age of 18 she became the mother of painter Maurice Valadon Utrillo, who became one of Montmartre’s best-known street scene artists. The father of Maurice remains unknown. 

Posted by 0lia

41 notes

  1. agndolus reblogged this from worldpaintings
  2. stfuandsmd reblogged this from worldpaintings
  3. shudes reblogged this from worldpaintings
  4. lighthousechat reblogged this from worldpaintings
  5. thehousethatfunbuilt reblogged this from worldpaintings
  6. vhtsouza reblogged this from worldpaintings
  7. sparklerdims reblogged this from smudgeofpaint
  8. theheavenly reblogged this from worldpaintings
  9. smudgeofpaint reblogged this from worldpaintings
  10. nextnigella reblogged this from worldpaintings
  11. bugseatbooks reblogged this from worldpaintings
  12. hoops-n-hopes reblogged this from worldpaintings
  13. applesluts reblogged this from worldpaintings
  14. worldpaintings posted this