The Centre Pompidou opens its highly anticipated exhibition Suzanne Valadon: A Bold Vision today, January 15th, 2025, celebrating one of the most groundbreaking artists of her generation. Running until April 20th, 2025, the exhibition presents nearly 200 works, highlighting Valadon’s pioneering approach to realism and her unwavering focus on the human body, depicted without artifice or voyeurism. This retrospective offers fresh insights into her artistic journey, bridging the Parisian fervor of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The exhibition showcases Valadon’s mastery of both painting and drawing, emphasizing her graphic work with rarely seen sketches that reveal her creative process. Among the highlights is a thematic exploration of her unique approach to the nude, reimagined through a distinctly feminine lens. Another focal point is her portraiture, where she painted not only her family and friends but also strangers, as a way to deeply understand her subjects.
Exceptional loans from institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Fondation de l’Hermitage enrich the display, alongside pieces from the Centre Pompidou’s own extensive collection. The exhibition also incorporates archival photographs and manuscripts, offering a glimpse into the artist’s rebellious personality and her pivotal role in shaping modernity. With this comprehensive monograph, the Centre Pompidou continues its commitment to celebrating women artists and their influence on art history.
La Poupée Délaissée, 1921
Le Bain, 1908
