Napoleon III (1808-1873) was the last Emperor of France. He lost his majestic role in 1870 when the Prussians defeated the French army at the Battle of Sedan. Before his defeat, Napoleon wanted to reassert international French influence and tried to expand France’s colonial power. He even tried to create a Second Mexican Empire (seems that, despite the French Revolution, the French had a thing for Empires).

Napoleon dreamed of the modernization of France. This included the reconstruction of Paris by Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann.  Haussmann’s plan to modernize Paris relied much on the creation of new boulevards which would help relieve traffic congestion. Obviously, to make room for the boulevards, existing buildings had to be demolished causing many people to lose their homes. And as the population of Paris continued to grow, the geographical boundaries needed to expand. The solution was to annex surrounding communes into the city.

For about a decade, Paris was a huge construction site.

Many previous residents of the area had to move to places like Belleville (where Edith Piaf was born) and Ménilmontant (where Maurice Chevalier was born) and Montmartre. In 1860, Montmartre and other communes became a part of Paris. And, as the rents were cheap and the area full of nosey cafes, artists began moving into the area. And the Bohemian spirit flourished.

Although born outside of Paris, Suzanne Valadon grew up and eventually died in Montmartre. Her real name was Marie-Clémentine and for years she went by Marie. But here I will refer to her only as Suzanne.

Suzanne was raised by her single mom who washed people’s dirty clothes to support herself and her daughter. Childhood was a different thing for the poor than for the rich. Suzanne had no time for childhood. For awhile she worked as a seamstress. Like Coco Chanel, Suzanne had learned to sew from the nuns. But Suzanne had too much energy to sit around stitching. Circuses were quite popular at the time and Suzanne set her heart on becoming a trapezist. Although petite, Suzanne was very agile and had much physical strength. Enthusiastic about her new career, Suzanne had a tendency to be a bit too audacious. This caused her to fall during a performance. Her back was hurt and she could no longer perform. Now she needed a new career.

Because of all the artists who’d moved to the area, there was much demand for artists’ models. Suzanne was not only beautiful, but she knew how to hold a pose. Modeling became her chief source of income. Now Suzanne was having a great time modeling and hanging out with the artists at the Lapin Agile drinking and dancing and being bohemian.  She was now a part of the avant garde Paris.

In 1883, eighteen year old Suzanne gave birth to Maurice. She wasn’t sure who the father was (some speculate Renoir but he denied it). Busy trying to earn a living, she’d leave her son in the care of her mom. Her mom, unfortunately, was an alcoholic and would often give little Maurice liquor to keep him quiet. By the time Maurice was a teenager, he was an alcoholic with mental health problems.

Around the age of nine, Suzanne began teaching herself how to draw but kept it a secret. Now, as an artists’ model, she was able to learn by watching the artists at work. While the artist looked at her, she looked back. She modelled for Toulouse-Lautrec who, once he saw her drawings, encouraged her to keep drawing. Suzanne was still going by Marie-Clementine but Lautrec changed that. Since Suzanne was always getting involved with older men, Lautrec started calling her “Suzanne” as in “Suzanne and the Elders”. And the name stuck.

One of Suzanne’s big concerns was her son’s mental instability that would continue to torment her for years. Hoping that it would help heal him, Suzanne taught her son how to paint.

Sexually, Suzanne was very uninhibited and had numerous overlapping lovers. For a few months she was involved with Satie who fell head over heels. Suzanne was also keeping herself entertained with Paul Mousis, a wealthy stockbroker whom she married in 1895. It was a radical change of lifestyle for her. For 13 years she lived in economic tranquility for the first time. She had a chauffeur and a maid and money enough to buy all the paints she needed. But Suzanne was not a bourgeois and grew bored with her affluent lifestyle. She wanted to go back to Montmartre where she felt at home.

Maurice had started trying to sell paintings. One day he brough home a friend, André Utter, a 23 year old artist. Suzanne, impressed by his looks, used André as a model for her Adam in the painting “Adam and Eve”. The rapport became sexual. Suzanne’s husband was not happy and the two divorced in 1913.

Now a new and bizarre menage is formed between Suzanne, her son, and her son’s best friend. André became part of Suzanne’s household and, in 1914, they married. Andrè was no longer Maurice’s friend but his step-father. The trio used to have many quarrels and drunken brawls to the point that they earned the name trinité maudite (cursed trinity).

And for many years, the trio continued like that.

Initially, Utter had been very good at selling paintings for Suzanne and Maurice. But then the dynamics started changing. Utter started messing around with the girls driving Suzanne wacko.

But Suzanne was now a recognized artist who could maintain herself with the sales of her paintings.

Suzanne died in Montmartre in 1938 at the age of 72. Her funeral drew quite a crowed, Even Picasso was there.

Suzanne the model:

Auguste Renoir – Dance at Bougival – painting of Suzanne Valadon – 1883

Berthe Morisot – Tightrope Walker – painting of Suzanne Valadon, 1886

Edgar Degas – The Tub – painting of Suzanne Valladon - 1886

Toulouse-Lautrec – The Hangover – portrait of Suzanne Valladon 1889

Related:

Renoir’s Art Model Was the Greatest Painter You Never Heard Of + Suzanne Valadon: Artist and Muse of Montmartre + The Blue Room painting +  Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec, Artist Of Montmartre +

Artists’ canteen: the Lapin Agile cabaret + WOMEN ARTISTS: Suzanne Valadon +

Old Montmartre in Photos and Paintings + Montmartre Then & Now + Montmartre, la leggendaria collina degli artisti di Parigi +

Synergy & Solidarity