Suzanne Valadon : La Liberté Sans Concession

Suzanne Valadon constantly tried to force destiny and muddy the waters, while refusing to make any concessions. She was guided by a single word: freedom. The natural daughter of a linen maid, a model at 15, a child-mother at 18, a draughtswoman who immediately entered the most prestigious society, a lorette with multiple lovers, a self-taught painter at 27, a bourgeoise at 30, encumbered by an alcoholic son until the age of 70, remarried at 49 to a man 21 years her junior, recognised at 54 as an important artist, a rich and prodigal squire for 10 years, she nevertheless ended her life alone and abandoned by almost everyone.

This book seeks to know and understand the life of Suzanne Valadon, by comparing her creations with the spirit of their creator at the time they were made, and by leaving aside the lies and half-truths that have overshadowed the study of her work. It includes reproductions of around half of the artist's paintings, enabling us to appreciate the major facets of the different phases of her work and to look beyond the labels and the legend of Montmartre and bohemian life.