The Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts in Lausanne (MCBA) is celebrating one of Switzerland's most distinguished artists with "Vallotton Forever," the largest retrospective ever dedicated to Felix Vallotton. The exhibition honors the Franco-Swiss painter exactly 100 years after his death, showcasing the work of this native son of the Vaud capital.
Held at the Platform 10 site in Lausanne, "Vallotton Forever: The Retrospective" spans nearly 1,400 square meters and traces the journey of a multifaceted creator who worked as a painter, engraver, illustrator, and press cartoonist. The exhibition follows both chronological and thematic approaches, covering the major stages of Vallotton's career from his departure from Lausanne to Paris at just sixteen years old to pursue painting, through his early appearances at official salons, his recognition as a master of woodcut engraving, his socially engaged press drawings, and his book illustrations.
After focusing on street spectacle, Vallotton became interested in performance itself and, more importantly, its effect on audiences. He collaborated with La Revue Blanche, a famous avant-garde anarchist magazine, creating the "Intimacies" series for them, which featured ten subjects exploring romantic situations. Toward the end of the century, Vallotton returned to his first love—painting—and surprised audiences by turning toward a singular realism and a much more refined aesthetic.
As he became an unmissable figure in the art world, Vallotton dedicated himself to painting in all its dimensions, revisiting traditional genres including nudes, portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and historical scenes. His art, nourished by profound reflection and constant dialogue with the old masters, announced a new path for figurative painting, which was then in crisis. Catherine Lepdor, chief curator at MCBA Lausanne, noted the artist's militant spirit in her interview, highlighting how Vallotton maintained his artistic independence throughout his career.
In 1907, Felix Vallotton renewed his engagement with the female nude. The MCBA displays a painting showing imposing, ambitious nude women occupied among themselves, playing in the water while appearing to snub both the painter and those viewing them. "We wanted to show the uncompromising, independent artist who stayed on the path he chose to trace," explains Katia Poletti, curator of the Vallotton Foundation. "He didn't give in to ease, he didn't necessarily take into account what critics might have said about him, and he continued with great independence of spirit."
The second part of the painter's career stands out prominently in this retrospective. The subtle scenography and interplay of colors and movement across two floors, ranging from intimate to symbolic, reveal a fascinating artist who was first a disciple of post-impressionist avant-gardes and author of engaged drawings and engravings with a strong comedic taste. These drawings became highly sought after by all of Parisian society before his color revolution. "It's through black and white work, on paper support, that the artist was able to best express his political convictions, which were those of a discreet anarchist because he was a foreigner in Paris and could not express himself freely," emphasizes Katia Poletti.
While the large floors of the MCBA house the artist's accomplished works, a satellite exhibition titled "Vallotton: The Ingenious Laboratory" explores the genesis of his creation, including his models, processes, and techniques. The Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (Mudac) will offer tattoos featuring Vallotton subjects as part of the celebration.
Vallotton has become truly unmissable in the art world. In 1992-1993, a retrospective presented at the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts had already confirmed the artist's importance. Thirty years later, Vallotton has become essential, benefiting from exhibitions in Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo, London, and New York that together welcomed nearly one million visitors, recalled MCBA director Juri Steiner. The Vallotton year has been celebrated throughout Switzerland with several exhibitions at the Jenisch Museum in Vevey, the Kunst Museum Winterthur, and the Museo Castello San Materno in Ascona.
"Vallotton Forever: The Retrospective" runs at the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts in Lausanne from October 24, 2025, to February 15, 2026. The exhibition coincides with special programming, including a documentary co-produced by RTS and Arte titled "Felix Vallotton: The Colors of Desire," further cementing the artist's enduring legacy in the contemporary art world.
