Claude Cahun Cause of Death, Gender, Art, Age, Photography
Claude Cahun is a legendary self-portrait artist who always hated categorizing her gender. Claudie’s health started to deteriorate after releasing from prison resulting in her death on 8 December 1954. She was a groundbreaking photographer known for surrealist self-portraits. Her portraits in collaboration with her partner Marcel Moore reflected her support for feminism, the LGBTQ community, and gender neutrality.
people talk about global surrealist photographers, he is a popular name! Her birth name was Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob. Later she adopted the pseudonym Cahun. Her surrealist photography skills are breathtaking.
Claude Cahun stands by holding the weight rod in his hand
Height
5 feet 3 inches
Weight
138 lbs (63 kg)
Age
60 Years
Hair Color
Light Blonde
Eye Color
Not known
The self-portrait artist Claude Cahun stands at 5 feet 3 inches. She weighed 45 kg and had a slim body. She began changing her name around the early 20s. Moreover, in the 1920s Claude settled with her partner Marcel Moore, earlier Suzanne Malherbe.
Lucy Schwob was born in 1894 in Nante, France. Her family comprised middle-class Jewish parents. But her family consisted of intellectuals and scholars. David Leon Cahun, the renowned orientalist, was her great-uncle. Marcel Schwob, the Avant-garde writer, was her uncle.
David Leon Cahun, her grandfather, was also known for Orientalism. Mary-Antoinette Courbebaisse, her mother, became a mental illness victim when she was four years old. She was shifted to psychiatric care shortly after the illness. Cahun’s blind grandmother, Mathilde, raised her.
She battled debilitating depression, suicidal thoughts, and anorexia in her teenage years. She died at the age of 60. When she was sent to boarding school, she met Marcel, with whom she had spent her entire life. Later, Cahun’s father married Suzanne’s mother, making both of them each other’s step-sisters.
They continued to live as lovers. In 1919, they relocated to Paris. This time marked the peak time of the Dada movements.
Educational Details
Claude Cahun sitting while holding a weight rod in hand
During Claude Cahun’s high-school days, she was subjected to antisemitism. She was also admitted to a boarding school in Surrey, England, for some time. She met her love and life partner, Suzanne Malherbe, in her boarding school.
She attended Parsons Mead School (a private institute). She was also a student of the Paris University, Sorbonne. At the age of 18, she started photographic self-portraits.
Friends and Social Life
Claude Cahun wears a shirt and stand in front of the mirror and gives a side pose
Claude Cahun spent her adulthood with her sole partner Suzanne Malherbe. They spent most of the time on Jersey Island. The factors that brought them closer were art and life. They both adopted pseudonyms according to their gender preferences.
she was more famous for her self-portrait and writing skills. Her works questioned the existing stereotypical condition of the society and political scenario of that time.
Her anti-realistic autobiography, Disavowals, stated that she did not believe in gender specification. She worked as a propagandist at the time of World War II. She was born into a family of Jews; her works were encircled in theatre, photography, and writing.
Claude Cahun’s art speaks of surrealism. They are the silent voice against the cliched gender determination of French society. Claude Cahun had always stood against the then political turmoil. Some of her famous photographic art are:
1914– A self-portrait portrays a young girl. This photo explained the link with Greek mythology, the acute depression that she and her mother suffered, and the darkest aspects related to life.
1920– Self-portrait with the head between two hands. The Artist portrayed her transition from a long-haired girl to a shaved scalp personality. She mainly pointed to the gender-neutral idea.
1927– A series of photographs named “I am in training don’t kiss me. ” Cahun was inclined to make-up, props, and highly stylish clothing during this series.
1930– Plate no. 1 from Aveux non-avenue. It is believed that this piece’s art idea was inspired by the works of Max Ernst, Hannah Hoch, and Hans Arp. Moreover, since Moore was the illustrator, it was her idea to make such a composite work.
1947– Self-portrait in a graveyard. The art exhibited the constant dilemma of life and death she faced in the Nazi prison.
Claude Cahun Self-Portrait
Claude’s projection of self-portrait has made her an iconic artist of the early 20th century. She became an icon among the LGBTQ communities, art historians, etc. Her courageous step against gender non-conformity was worth admiring.
In all her self-portraits that she created along with Marcel Moore, Claude Cahun has reflected her opinions. She used to pose for all her self-portraits putting herself into diverse genders and characters foreshadowing photography practices of Yasumasa Morimura and Cindy Sherman and feminism.
Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore
Claude Cahun painting photo
Marcel Moore and Claude Cahun were a bold and extraordinary couple. The couple stayed together strong and loved each other for 40 years. Lucy and Suzanne were the pseudonyms of Claude and Marcel respectively. The duo was also related to each other as they were step-sisters.
They spent most time of their relationship in Jersey at St.Brelade’s Bay Hotel. Eventually, the couple ended up buying a property opposite the location. The premises of the house along with the bay were the ultimate settings for Claudie’s artwork. Moore and Cahun were also popular for their strange behaviors such as wearing trousers or taking their feline for a walk.
ClaudeCahun is popularly known for her encompassing surrealism, theatre, photography, and writing. Her surrealistic photography is visual aesthetics. She has published uncountable images of the vamp, Japanese puppet, bodybuilder, doll, excellent, etc., with her self-portrait features.
All of Claude Cahun’s art have something in common: revealing the head and shoulder, defiance of gender-dominating philosophy undermining the patriarchal gaze. Some of her well-known writings are:
Major Works
Heroine
1925
Aveux non-avenues
1930
Cahun joined the organization of French revolutionary artists in 1932.
Personal Life
Besides writing and photography, she became interested in politics. Thus, she stood against Fascism throughout the entire 1930s.
She was introduced to Andre Breton, one of the important faces of the surrealist movement. This meeting was the planting of the surrealist seed into the mind of Cahun.
Claude Cahun and her partner started working with the members. In 1936, when the French Communist Party and the Surrealists had separated,
She chose the side of Georges and Breton Bataille. In 1937, she and Moore had changed their address to La Rocquaise, a home on Jersey Island.
They started maintaining a little distance from their usual world ending their involvement in the surrealist movement but their work was still on.
During these years both Lucy and Suzanne used their birth names. The people of Jersey called them “Les Madames”. Here, they were majorly famous for strange behaviors like wearing trousers.
Trade Mark
Cahun’s work transitioned personae, and their personal life has made her an inspiration to the future artist. Her stand against heterosexual relationships and self-portrait based on gender shifting made her an important historical figure. Her photography was the first to introduce self-portraiture to female artists.
Her works have influenced and inspired many celebrity figures, including David Brownie. He also even produced an art exhibition as a tribute to her works.
List of Cahun’s Art Exhibitions
Claude Cahun lying on the bed with the open hair
Years
List of Art
2008
The Douglas Hyde, Dublin, Ireland
2011
Jeu de Paume, Paris ,1e, Paris, France
2012
The Art of Claude Cahun: Entre Nous, The Art Institute of Chicago, Loop, Chicago, Illinois, USA
2013
Les mises en scène d’objets ,Le Studiolo Galerie de France ,Paris, France
2015
Beneath This Mask, East Gallery at NUA, Norwich, UK
2016
Beneath This Mask, Exeter Phoenix, Exeter, UK
2019
This Sex Which Is Not One, Haifa Museum of Art, Haifa, Israel
2020
Under the Skin ,Cobra Museum voor Moderne Kunst ,Amsterdam, Netherlands
2022
Under the Skin ,Kunsthal Rotterdam ,Rotterdam, Netherlands
Claude Cahun Cause of Death
She has spent some of the most horrific days in her late years. She was one of the prisoners of the Nazi prison, being a Jew. When she was released in 1945, her health was severely damaged. She continued to struggle with her poor health.
It is assumed that the one-year prison stay’s side effects might be. Claude Cahun’s Death happened soon after at the age of 60.
Unknown Facts
Claude Cahun painting photo
Lucy Schwob was the original name of Cahun. She later adopted the pseudonym.
Claude Cahun was born into a Jewish Family.
Marcel Schwob and David Leon Cahun were her uncle and grandfather, respectively.
She was subjected to racism in her school days.
Her mother had an acute mental illness. Thus, her blind grandmother raised her.
Like her mother, she also battled suicidal thoughts and depression in her childhood days.
She met her lifelong partner Marcel Moore in her boarding days.
Her art is famous for her gender-neutral persona and non-heterosexual relationship.
One of her famous self-portraits was a mirror image portraying her reflection.
She played the role of propagandist during World War II.
Being a Jew, Cahun spent a year in jail and was freed in 1952.
Her health started irrevocably deteriorating as she battled mortality and loneliness inside the prison.
After getting released from jail, she found that the Nazis had destroyed all her works.
She was awarded the medal as French gratitude for playing a pivotal role in the resistance in 1951.
She died at the age of 60 in the Channel Islands.
Her art is an inspiration to a celebrity like David Brownie.
He is a well-known French artist. She had a history of battling depression for a long time. Her troubled school days made her shift to boarding. She had always been vocal about the gender biases in the patriarchal society. Her art and writings are based on the concept of life and art. She was the first female to introduce the art of self-portraiture in photography.
Claudia Cahun died at the age of 60. Even death cannot separate her partnership of her with Marcel Moore. They both are buried in St. Brelade’s Church. Their collaboration had evolved since their boarding school days. They both were believers in life and art. Her partner Marcel Moore illustrated all her significant artworks.
Was Claude Cahun a Dada artist?
The Dada artists began to evolve after World War I. These satirical pieces criticized the follies of the war and every negative aspect of society. Cahun also boarded the same boat as she started questioning gender-based roles. All of her art depicted the same questions over and over.
When did Claude Cahun move to Paris?
She and her partner Marcel Moore relocated to Paris at the beginning of 1920. She joined revolutionary artists like Georges Bataille and Andre Bretton. She was awarded the French medal in 1951 as a token of gratitude for her resistance propaganda. She also had a significant role as a propagandist during World War II.
Why was Claude Cahun important?
Claude Cahun is considered the queen of self-portraiture and surrealism. Besides, she was also a great critic, essayist, and poet. Her famous work is Aveux nonavenues. She stated that there is no such of male and female, and neuter is the ultimate gender. Her works have profoundly influenced future artists.
Who was influenced by Claude Cahun?
Many celebrity figures have drawn inspiration from her artworks. David Brownie is among them. He was greatly influenced and decided to produce an exhibition to tribute to the famous artist’s painting. Many other future artists have also shown interest in surrealism portraiture.
What Photography Did Claude Cahun Create?
She has created some of the most intense photographs in art history. All her photography is composed of self-portraiture. They also showcased her transition from a long hair girl to a short-haired persona. She also described the inner conflict of an individual, like depression and loneliness.
How old is Claude Cahun?
Claude was born on October 25, 1894. She died due to her sick health at the age of 60 on December 8, 1954. She was famous for her surrealistic works and for exploring gender issues. Claude is one of the greatest icons of all time.
How did Claude Cahun die?
The artist had a natural death at the age of 60 on December 8, 1954. However, she and her partner tried to take their lives twice with barbiturates overdose.
Who is Claude Cahun?
Claude’s projection of self-portrait has made her an iconic artist of the early 20th century. She became an icon among the LGBTQ communities, art historians, etc. Her courageous step against gender non-conformity was worth admiring.
Why did Claude Cahun go to jail?
Cahun and Moore had the plan to commit suicide. Thus, they used to carry barbiturates. The duo even attempted suicide twice but failed because due to an underdose of the element. They were arrested due to carrying that drug and sentenced to death.
What gender is Claude Cahun?
Claude Cahun was born female. However, she hated gender-defining. Even in her book, she mentioned there is no such specification of male or female. Moreover, the surrealist creator also made it a point that she preferred her to be addressed as neuter.
