Two Women Drying Themselves 1895

Curator: This etching, made with ink on paper, is Suzanne Valadon's "Two Women Drying Themselves," created around 1895. The work features two nude women, one bent over, perhaps drying her hair, the other standing and reaching above her head, also seemingly with a towel. Editor: It strikes me as deeply intimate and personal. The scratchy, unfinished quality of the lines almost feels voyeuristic, as though we've caught a glimpse of a private moment. Curator: And isn't that suggestive of the cultural context? Here we have Valadon, herself a model for artists like Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec, now taking control of the gaze. She portrays these women not as objects of male desire, but as subjects of their own actions. The imperfection you mention feels almost deliberate, resisting idealization. Editor: It is a fascinating take considering the themes of the period. Note the strong diagonal of the standing figure echoes classical forms, perhaps an appropriation, while the posture of the woman bent over references figures of labor. This pose is evocative. The head lowered and turned away represents a surrender, introspection and shame or privacy. Curator: Precisely. Considering Valadon's own marginalized position as a female artist in a male-dominated world, it becomes hard not to interpret this as a statement on the ways women are forced to present themselves. Or are prevented from simply *being*. These women seem caught between the gaze and their own autonomy. Editor: I like the texture. There are parts, especially the head and shoulders of the bent-over figure, that remind me of the thick dark of charcoal, creating dense shadowed regions. Curator: Yes, there's a raw immediacy that speaks volumes. One sees what feels like a push towards realism. The poses, slightly awkward, aren’t conventionally beautiful but truthful. The lack of idealization emphasizes the everyday reality of women's bodies. The unglamorous moment suggests the artist's social critique of conventional portrayal of women in the canon. Editor: Valadon is definitely playing with those artistic tropes and bending them towards what we may call the reality of the female gaze and female body. What do you feel the implications of that reality are? Curator: What Valadon achieved was pushing beyond a traditionally imposed voyeurism to portray these bodies as quotidian. It’s the quiet defiance I admire. Editor: Yes, it does feel powerful how the use of symbols is minimized to maximize reality. It's a glimpse into ordinary experience that lingers with the viewer. Curator: It definitely provides insight into the experience of simply existing as a female, both historically and today. Editor: I completely agree.