Suzanne Valadon

The illegitimate daughter of a poor country woman, Suzanne Valadon first earned her living as a circus acrobat. Mingling with Impressionists in the clubs and cabarets of Montmartre, she caused a stir with her provocative stunts. When she was eighteen years old, Valadon gave birth to an illegitimate son, the future artist Maurice Utrillo. Posing regularly for Renoir, she became his lover, as well as the lover of others, including Erik Satie and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. Eventually Valadon's own art won the admiration and support of Degas, with whom she shared a close friendship. Yet many were…