Nude with drapery
(Nu à la draperie)
1921
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
73.0 × 54.0 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Family through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2022
Gallery location
Late 19th & early 20th Century Paintings & Decorative Arts Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Suzanne Valadon was a self-trained artist. Immersed in the vibrant art world of late nineteenth-century Paris, she had worked as an artist’s model from the age of fifteen and was particularly close to Edgar Degas. Possessing natural talent and a keen eye, she learnt much from observing the artists for whom she modelled. This work from 1921 typifies her specialty of painting the naked female form and her matter-of-fact approach to portraying the body. She did not idealise or overtly sexualise women, which was unique for her time.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
France
Inscription
inscribed in black and blue paint l.l.: Suzanne Valadon / 1921
Accession Number
2022.881
Department
International Painting