Viard - Today Art Museum Library

Author: Chen Yingde
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features:，Father's death led Vallier and his mother to move to the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area, where most high-end Parisian fabrics and clothing businesses were located. Vallier's mother's lingerie shop was set up at home, with a dim and narrow attic filled with fabrics and sewing supplies. Often, Vallier observed the corners, corridors, and stairs of his home, looking for subjects to paint within this daily living environment. Later, they moved to a more spacious third-floor apartment on Truffaut Street in the Batignolles area, and during this period, Vallier painted some happily tranquil works. The interior scenes he painted had low ceilings, yet they felt spacious in terms of east-west orientation. Entering from the living room, one would see potted plants placed on the fireplace, a round table adorned with vases of flowers, and walls covered in patterned wallpaper, all exuding warmth and coziness. Meanwhile, Vallier's painting corner was piled with canvases, and a wooden chair held a red flowerpot with lush green leaves, appearing quite bright. Vallier painted his mother sewing, cooking, dining, getting dressed, or sitting quietly, depicted her or her sister Marie together, the relationship between his friend Lucille and Marie, his daughter Anne-Marie, who was born from their marriage, as well as the models from his mother's workshop trying on clothes. All of these were transformed into fresh scenes through his casual glances. Vallier's mother, originally named Michelle Marie, was known as his "Muse" by the painter. She was Vallier's most important subject in his life, always seemingly ready to sit and pose for her son at any moment. In reality, Vallier's mother was very busy. When her husband retired, she supported the family with her crafts in Paris. After her husband's death, she took on the entire household's responsibilities. The home was her workshop, kitchen, and daily place of prayer. Her small craft business was quite successful, which allowed her to have a relatively independent economic life compared to women of her time. She employed two female workers, one of whom was her daughter Marie. She was one of the few women who joined labor movements, which showed her wisdom. Vallier's mother left an impression of being independent and strong, and she was completely devoted to her children. Vallier brought classmates to his home, and she warmly welcomed them, which is why Lucille became her daughter-in-law and Marie's husband. Vallier's friends described her as a saint. When Vallier's career was just beginning and his financial situation was unstable, she fully supported him. When he was active in the art world, she paid attention to his agent and artistic direction. She often expressed suspicion toward the wealthy families and dealers Vallier associated with and had stern opinions about some of his artistic experiments, such as her reserved attitude toward the gouache seascapes he painted during his brief stay in Saint-Jacques in 1909. Like many mothers, she had traditional hopes for her children. She hoped her son, as a painter, would have a formal patron and official recognition and awards, which was also quite normal. Marie Michelle outlived her husband by 40 years. This long period of widowhood was not lonely, as her son was indeed very filial. After Vallier's sister Marie and brother Alexandre married, he made sure his mother was never alone, even when he went on vacation to the villa of a wealthy collector, always taking her along and renting a nearby place for her. Until her death, he was accustomed to visiting her at least once a day.