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FLEURS

54 by 40.5cm.; 21¼ by 16in.

signed and dated 1933

oil on canvas

Painted in 1933.

PROVENANCE

Galerie Paul Pétridès, Paris

LITERATURE

Paul Pétridès, L'~uvre complet de Suzanne Valadon, Paris, 1971, no. P449, illustrated

NOTE

Painted towards the end of her tumultuous life, Valadon's Fleurs is an powerful example of her bold and vivid style. The work exudes a raw energy, perhaps resulting from the fact that she was unschooled. Self-taught, the artist's style evolved as confident and colourful, as shown in the assured application of paint in the present work. Her brushstrokes are deft and thick, covering the entire canvas. The painting is bold and unapologetic, typical of her floral still lives: 'There is nothing fragile about her compositions, they are sometimes almost stifling in their density. The vases containing the flowers are solid, even the petals are heavy, and the stems grow thicker as the years go by' (Jeanine Warnod, Suzanne Valadon, Switzerland, 1981, p. 74)

Valadon imbues a traditionally sedate subject with a sense of drama. The vase fills most of the composition, pushed forwards to confront the viewer and the table is tilted up to the picture plane in a style reminiscent of Cézanne. The strong shadows and heavy black outlines of the composition balance the vibrant colours of the floral arrangement, painted with complimentary lush greens and rich corals, pinks and reds. The vertical thrust of foliage is likewise balanced by the horizontal lines of the shutters behind.