Woman at Her Bath 1908

Suzanne Valadon made this etching, Woman at Her Bath, with ink on paper. The process here is key, she’s really pared things back, distilling the scene. It's a study in pure, confident lines, isn’t it? No fuss, just the essence of form, the way the bodies are outlined. The simplicity of it all is what grabs me. The etching feels almost like a drawing. And then there's that soft, grey background, it's like a whisper, a ghostly presence. It’s as if Valadon is pulling back the curtain on a private, yet universal, ritual. And look at the way she handles the drapery. Those swirling, almost playful lines contrast so beautifully with the stillness of the figures. Valadon reminds me a bit of Paula Modersohn-Becker, both fearlessly depicting the female form with such honesty and strength, and both being key players in a conversation which embraces ambiguity.