Camille Claudel was a remarkable French sculptor whose intense creativity and emotional depth made her one of the most fascinating figures in modern art. Although long overshadowed by her mentor and lover Auguste Rodin, Claudel’s work today is recognized for its originality, sensitivity, and technical mastery.

 Their artistic partnership was passionate but turbulent, and Claudel’s independent vision soon began to diverge from Rodin’s influence.

Her sculptures reveal a deep understanding of human emotion, movement, and form. Works such as The Waltz (La Valse) and The Age of Maturity (L’Âge mûr) express themes of love, desire, and loss with striking psychological intensity. Claudel’s ability to capture fleeting moments and inner emotion in marble or bronze sets her apart as one of the first truly modern sculptors.

Despite her immense talent, Claudel faced the prejudices of her time as a woman in a male-dominated art world. After breaking away from Rodin, she struggled with financial hardship and mental health issues, spending the last thirty years of her life in an asylum.

The Waltz (La Valse)

 Camille Claudel at work on the sculpture in her studio, undated. Right, a 1905 bronze cast of L’Abandon, conceived in 1888