I discovered Felix Vallotton (1868-1925) in Basel years ago.
Félix Vallotton, a Swiss-born painter who became a French citizen in 1900, straddled two centuries, two countries and several aesthetic trends, from the Nabis to the Neue Sachlichkeit [New Objectivity]. Although now less well known in France than in Switzerland, it was nonetheless in Paris in the 1890s that he established his reputation with his innovative woodcuts, and rapidly gained recognition throughout Europe.
All his life, the “foreign Nabi”, as he was nicknamed, took an interest in a wide range of subjects to which he returned time and again - interiors, toilettes, female nudes, landscapes, still lifes, among others – all imbued with an enigmatic strangeness by his smooth, detached style with its refined palette, cut-out compositions and bold framings. And although not always understood by the critics of his time, Vallotton succeeded in establishing himself as a notable figure in the Parisian art scene, and asserting his position in the modern movement, participating in many of the now legendary, international avant-garde events (wikipedia)
It was my first visit to the Modern Art Museum. It was not to see Vallotton at all but another exhibition.This was well before my Blog was initiated. There were a lot of nude paintings, but I felt comfortable with these women. My Mother would have said that they are
«not green beans and have shapely forms». Over the centuries we have grown taller and this obsession for staying skinny gets me down. I dislike obesity or don’t feel easy with someone who is really overweight but Vallotton had got the women’s figure right in my book. Another impressive attribute is that the women never seemed to get old. Ageless forms and ageless women. Not bad eh?
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| Le sommeil - 1908 |
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| Etudes de fesses1884 |
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| Nu à l'écharpe verte 1914 |
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| Femmes au mandarines 1913 |
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| Femmes nues aux chats 1898 |
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| Le repos des modèles 1905 |
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| Femmes nues jouant aux échecs 1897 |
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| Femmes à leur toilette 1897 |
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| FEMME AU PERROQUET 1913 |
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| QUATRE TORSES 1916 |
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| The Mistress and the Servant, 1896, |
Of course you can see at once that he has been influenced by other artists!(Femme au Perroquet - 1913.)
Some of his women in groups are slightly surprising. I hardly see a dog in a Turkish Bath - poetic licence of course.....
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| LE BAIN TURC 1907 |
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| The Bath, Summer Evening, 1892 |
His work is seemingly recognizable.
Laurent suggested we see this Block Buster at the Grand Palais. He didn’t know his work - I knew a little. Laurent is quite right, he changes from period to period and basis his work on portraits, even landscapes and of course there is the very important war period with many of his woodcuts. These strange in a way, are extremely modern and yet could be associated or compared to other artists.
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| Les fils de fers - C'est la Guerre 1915 |
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| L'orgie - C'est la Guerre 1915 |
And much earlier
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| La Paresse 1896 |
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| Xylographie - Le Bain 1884 |
The war period too was one when artists could be extremely cruel in their interpretation of their models. Vallotton was no exception. However, the painting called "Hate" doesn't seem to be that at all for me.....the others yes. Especially the man who has been stabbed....
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| Homme et femme ou le viol1 1913 |
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| L'homme poignardé 1916 |
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| La Haine 1908 (Hate) |
It’s bold brush work, very modern for the period and yet today if this work was presented, I am not so sure we would call it modern at all and this mainly because of the women.
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| La Valse 1883 |
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| Le Ballon 1899 |
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| La Roumaine en robe rouge 1925 |
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| L'automne 1908 |
There are one or two paintings we saw which could be difficult to relate to Vallotton. This women in a blue nightdress looking into a cupboard for instance. There is a mystery about it. Is she hiding something? Or is she just looking? Even the women who is apparently organizing her linen cupboard is not a «typical» Vallotton for us.
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| Interier - femme en bleu fouillant dans une armoire fouilliant 1903 |
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| Femme fouillant dans un placard1901 |
Some still life are not easy to place either. It’s undoubtedly because they are so modern for the period, that I find them acceptable. Also there are beach and garden scenes which are Vallotton and yet not so recognizable as his nudes.
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| La Chaste Suzanne 1922 |
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| Luxembourg 1895 |
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| Le Provincial 1909 |
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| Le Poker 1902 |
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| Sur la plage 1899 |
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| Eglise de Hurlus en ruine 1917 - remind you of someone? |
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| Poivrons rouges 1915 |
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| Vue Cavaliere de la Cagne 1921 |
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| Derniers rayons 1911 |
He also had a very dramatic «mythological» period. Very strange as although the «gods» or mythological creatures could have been from the period, the women were as modern as ever and strangely enough often have the same chignon.
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| Orphée dépécé 1914 |
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| Satyre enlevant une femme à galop 1910 |
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| L'enlèvement de l'Europe 1908 |
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| Femme nue lutiinant un silène 1907 |
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| Persé tuant le dragon 1910 |
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| Andromede debout et Persée 1918 |
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| Autoportrait à l'age 1885 20 ans |
So his women didn't change over the years - but he certainly did. His self portraits tell the story.
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| 1897 autoportrait -32 |
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| autoportrait à la robe de chambre 1914 -49 |
His portraits are strong and somewhat from so many we see of that period. I like his work and as always I enjoy having Laurent next to me. His comments make me think again!
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| FELIX JASINSKI TENANT SON CHAPEAU 1887 |
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| Portrait de Mme Vallotton 1906 |
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| Portrait décoratif d'Emile Zola1901 |
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