Camille Claudel

Lore & Background

Camille Claudel was born in Fère-en-Tardenois, Aisne, in northern France, the first child of a family of farmers and gentry. Her father, Louis-Prosper Claudel, dealt in mortgages and bank transactions; her mother, Louise-Athanaïse Cécile Cerveaux, came from a Champagne family of Catholic farmers and priests. The family moved frequently during her childhood, and from ages five to twelve she was educated by the Sisters of Christian Doctrine. At age twelve, while living in Nogent-sur-Seine, she began working with local clay, regularly sculpting the human form. Her mother disapproved of her desire to become an artist, but her father supported her and sought assessment from artist neighbor Alfred Boucher, who confirmed her talent.

In 1881, Claudel moved to Paris with her mother, brother, and sister, living in the Montparnasse area. She studied at the Académie Colarossi, one of the few places open to female students, and also studied with sculptor Alfred Boucher. In 1882, she rented a studio workshop on rue Notre-Dame des Champs, sharing it with three British sculptors. Boucher often gave free lessons to the group. When Boucher moved to Florence, he asked Auguste Rodin to take over instruction of his pupils. Claudel began working in Rodin's workshop in 1883, becoming his model, confidante, and lover. She never lived with Rodin, who remained in a long-term relationship with Rose Beuret. The affair agitated her family, and her mother forced her to leave the family home. In 1892, after an abortion, Claudel ended the intimate aspect of her relationship with Rodin, though they saw each other regularly until 1898.

Reader's Guide

Camille Claudel's significance lies in her original and high-quality sculptural work, which gained renewed attention later in the 20th century after a period of relative obscurity. She is known for sculptures such as The Waltz and The Mature Age. Her work is held in major museums including the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The Camille Claudel Museum opened in Nogent-sur-Seine in 2017, and the Musée Rodin in Paris has a room dedicated to her works. Her reputation survived not because of her association with Rodin, but because of her work. Contemporary critics described her as having genius and a style more virile than many male colleagues. Her sculpture Clotho, exhibited in 1893, was noted for its depiction of an elderly female figure and its indifference to the male gaze. Her onyx and bronze La Vague (The Wave) (1897) marked a conscious break from her Rodin period, with a decorative quality different from her earlier heroic style. After Rodin saw The Mature Age in 1899, he reacted with shock and anger and suddenly stopped his support for her.

Did You Know?

• Claudel was a longtime associate of sculptor Auguste Rodin, and the Musée Rodin in Paris has a room dedicated to her works.
• The Camille Claudel Museum in Nogent-sur-Seine, where she lived as a teenager, opened in 2017.
• Claudel's sculpture Clotho, exhibited at the 1893 Salon, depicted an elderly female figure and was noted for its indifference to the male gaze.
• After Rodin saw Claudel's The Mature Age in 1899, he reacted with shock and anger and stopped his support for her.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Camille Claudel (8 December 1864 – 19 October 1943) was a French sculptor and graphic artist." — Camille Claudel "Il y a toujours quelque chose d’absent qui me tourmente." — Camille Claudel "There is always something missing that torments me." — Camille Claudel