Suzanne ValadonSuzanne ValadonA major figure of the fervent artistic life in Montmartre at the turn of the last century, from cabaret to atelier, Suzanne Valadon (1865 - 1938) was not a prolific printmaker, but she often combined media, notably soft-ground etching with drypoint rework, in order to render the refinement of her drawings.
Though initially a model for such eminences as Toulouse-Lautrec and Renoir, she was first encouraged artistically by Degas, who quasi-affectionately called her "la diablesse" (or "she-devil"), and taught her printmaking (notably the soft-varnish medium she so often used); she also closely followed his graphic obsession with intimate scenes of women in the bath...
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Suzanne Valadon (1865 - 1938)Catherine nue se coiffantCatherine nude, Combing her Hair Pétridès 5 soft-ground etching with drypoint, 1895, on laid paper, with good (full?) margins, an exceptional early impression, signed by the artist, with rich drypoint shading, and reddish-brown highlights, undescribed by Pétridès (he only mentions the 1932 Daragnès edition) This is one of Suzanne Valadon's earliest prints, and Degas's influence may be seen in this unassuming interior, with carefully structured curves and angles.
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Suzanne Valadon (1865 - 1938)Fille aux Gros Seins et Femme VieilleGirl with Large Breasts and Old Woman Pétridès E16 soft-ground etching with drypoint, 1908, on laid paper, signed by the artist and numbered "6/20", a richly inked impression with selective wiping and plate tone, before the 1932 Daragnès edition of 75 Suzanne Valadon here eliminates the setting, reduced to a minimal furniture (fauteuil, tub, and drapery), again exploring the counterpoint between the two women, old and young, dressed and nude, working and idling.
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Suzanne Valadon (1865 - 1938)Fille aux Gros Seins et Femme VieilleGirl with Large Breasts and Old Woman Pétridès E24 soft-ground etching with drypoint, 1908, on laid paper, an early proof of the 1st state, before the 1932 Daragnès edition of 75, printed cleanly, so as to show the fine drypoint detailing As above, Suzanne Valadon here eliminates the setting, reduced to a minimal furniture (fauteuil, tub, and drapery), again exploring the counterpoint between the two women, old and young, dressed and nude, working and idling.
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