Contents
Camille Claudel
Creating expressive sculptures such as The Waltz and The Mature Age while forging a career beyond Rodin's studio.
Sakuntala · The Waltz
- Born
- 8 December 1864
- Birthplace
- Fère-en-Tardenois, France
- Died
- 19 October 1943
More people
Camille Claudel
Camille Claudel was a French sculptor whose figures convey movement, intimacy and emotional tension. Her independent achievement gained much wider recognition after decades of neglect.
Early life
An early sculptor
Modelled local clay as a child and received encouragement from sculptor Alfred Boucher.
Paris training
Moved to Paris and studied at the Académie Colarossi, one of the schools open to women.
Career
- 1880s
Rodin’s workshop
Worked with Auguste Rodin while developing her own sculpture.
- 1890s
Independent work
Increasingly pursued personal subjects and commissions outside his studio.
- 1905
A gallery exhibition
Eugène Blot exhibited her work and helped produce bronze editions.
- 1913
An interrupted career
Was committed to a psychiatric institution and ceased working as a sculptor.
Selected work
Sakuntala
A couple’s reunion inspired by an Indian literary work.
The Waltz
Different versions portray an embracing couple in motion.
The Mature Age
Three figures form a tense scene of separation and reaching.
The Wave
Small figures crouch beneath an oncoming wave.
Beyond the studio
A difficult relationship
Her artistic and personal relationship with Rodin was consequential, but her work developed its own subjects and forms.
Thirty years confined
Remained institutionalised until her death in 1943; later exhibitions and a dedicated museum restored attention to her art.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Museum or specialist research ↗Photo: César. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
