Suzanne Valadon (Born 1865) was born near Limoges at Bessines-sur-Gartempe. She was an illegitimate daughter of a laundress from France. From the age of 9 on, Suzanne supported herself by doing odd jobs – any job that was available. One was being a circus acrobat. Suzanne did it until she was 16 when she fell off the trapeze. Looking for a safer occupation, she decided to become an artists' model. This work involved posing for such artists as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. In the course of her work, she also mingled with the Impressionists in cabarets of Montmartre and the clubs, where her provocative stunts caused sensations. She attracted admiration from many people. At 18 she gave birth to a son (illegitimate), the future artist Utrillo Maurice. Suzanne soon took interest in painting.
She decided to teach herself by observing carefully the techniques and styles of the artists for whom she was posing. Soon she began creating her own paintings. The first artist to see her drawings was Toulouse-Lautrec, and he encouraged her. Later on, her art won the support and admiration of Degas, with whom she developed a lasting friendship. Degas actually bought 3 of her pieces of art in 1893. Among the artists she knew were Gauguin, van Gogh, Modigliani and Picasso. She painted landscapes, portraits, female nudes and, especially, still lifes. Her images are memorable in powerful and vibrant colors reminiscent of the Fauve and Post-Impressionist styles. Suzanne’s interpretation of women's bodies most likely arose from her own experience as a model.
