Jacqueline Marval: A Rediscovered Fauvist Pioneer and the Radical First Female Nude Self-Portrait
Jacqueline Marval, originally named Marie-Joséphine Vallet, was born in Quaix, France, in 1866. The Comité Jacqueline Marval, established in 2020 by art dealer Raphaël Roux dit Buisson, is working to restore her recognition. Her painting Odalisque au Guépard, created in 1900, is acknowledged as the first female nude self-portrait, preceding Paula Modersohn-Becker's 1906 piece. After a short marriage, Marval relocated to Paris in 1895, where she adopted her pseudonym and painted on discarded bed sheets. She joined the Fauvist movement and showcased her work at the Galerie Berthe Weill in 1902. In 1913, she produced eight panels for the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Despite her creation of over 1,200 pieces, she passed away in poverty, with her legacy now being revitalized by the Comité Jacqueline Marval.
Key facts
- Jacqueline Marval was born Marie-Joséphine Vallet in 1866 in Quaix, France.
- She did not become a professional painter until her thirties, after working as a teacher and a tailor.
- In 1895, she moved to Paris with Jules Flandrin and adopted the pseudonym Jacqueline Marval.
- Her 1900 painting Odalisque au Guépard is considered likely the first female nude self-portrait in art history.
- In 1901, Ambroise Vollard purchased all ten paintings she exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants.
- She exhibited at the Galerie Berthe Weill in 1902 alongside Flandrin, Marquet, and Matisse.
- Marval's Les Odalisques (1902-1903) may have inspired Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.
- She created eight ballet-themed panels for the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées foyer in 1913.
- Guillaume Apollinaire described her in 1912 as 'one of the most remarkable artists of our time.'
- The Comité Jacqueline Marval was founded in 2020 by Raphaël Roux dit Buisson to revive her legacy.
Entities
Artists
- Jacqueline Marval
- Marie-Joséphine Vallet
- Jules Flandrin
- Joseph François
- Georges Rouault
- Charles Camoin
- Albert Marquet
- Henri Matisse
- Léon-Ernest Drivier
- Gustave Moreau
- Pablo Picasso
- André Salmon
- Paula Modersohn-Becker
- Giorgione
- Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
- Édouard Manet
- Paul Poiret
- Guillaume Apollinaire
- Raphaël Roux dit Buisson
- Lucien Roux
- Camille Roux dit Buisson
- Hilary Spurling
- Albertin Valentin
Institutions
- Comité Jacqueline Marval
- Galerie Berthe Weill
- Galerie Druet
- Salon des Indépendants
- Salon d'Antin
- Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
- Musée de Grenoble
- Museum of Modern Art
- DailyArt Magazine
- Aware Women Artists
- Alfred A. Knopf
Locations
- Quaix
- France
- Grenoble
- Paris
- Montparnasse
- Biarritz
- New York
- USA
- Japan