Renoir's Dancer: The Secret Life of Suzanne Valadon

Hewitt (The Mistress of Paris) brings the story of artist Suzanne Valadon (1865–1938) vividly to life with a skillful weaving of valuable historical and family details into a biographical narrative. An artist's model, Valadon formed close associations with Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Edgar Degas, and composer Erik Satie, among other notable figures in late 19th-century, bohemian Montmartre, Paris. With candid sensitivity, the author describes the intricacies of Valadon's world there: her modeling work, liaisons, unconventionality, and relationship with her illegitimate son, artist Maurice Utrillo. Eventually, Valadon cultivated her own talents as an artist, a challenge for any woman of the time but particularly for an untrained member of the working class. Valadon depicted her subjects with forthright honesty and adhered to no formal artistic theory aside from her own. Nevertheless, she earned praise from Degas and others. Over time, Valadon devoted herself fully to her art, and her motivation and passion for painting and drawing brought recognition. Her life story is multifaceted and intriguing, and Hewitt portrays Valadon's character in all of its complexity, while skillfully capturing the vibrant historical and cultural setting.