In the 1988 film Camille Claudel, the young French sculptor Camille Claudel is depicted, focusing primarily on her tumultuous relationship with Auguste Rodin, the legendary sculptor. Set in the 1880s, the film shows us how a young Claudel met Rodin, which was the beginning of their romance; as their relationship grows, so does Claudel’s burgeoning career in art. This brings along several obstacles, as people were prejudiced against female artists at that time; however, Claudel herself became quite the famous sculptor despite this. However, by the end of the film, Rodin’s own career takes off, and he starts lusting after another woman, leading to the dissolution of their relationship and the collapse of Claudel into an emotional breakdown which very much nears madness. The film is a masterpiece, with its strong performances and elegant production design, but its best contribution is to highlight the life of this somewhat-forgotten artist.
Camille Claudel herself made many contributions to 19th century sculpture. While much of her work is lost to time, her own works have enjoyed much merit and celebration independent of her association with Rodin. It is also said that she has probably contributed to some of his works while working as an assistant in his studio, namely his Gates of Hell. Being an important woman sculptor, she also proved herself part of the social elite in France, and demonstrated that female sculptors could get important works exhibited at big arthouses like the Salon des Artistes Francais and the Salon d’Automne. One of her later works, The Mature Age (1900), is a very powerful representation of her break with Rodin, as well as the need for life to change.
Camille Claudel’s innovations in the field of 19th century sculpture made her work very different from others at the time. While it has already been said that some of her work is inspired by Rodin’s own style, with a certain heroicism to it, some of her later works (especially 1897’s The Wave) are conscious attempts to break out of that heroic style, making it more decorative and embellished than other works. Her use of bronze is incredible, especially in The Wave, as it allows for the figures in the sculpture to be eclipsed by this huge wave that towers over them. Her works are extremely imaginative and lyrical; her Bronze Waltz is likely her most famous sculpture, with two figures turning into rock while dancing.
Part of Claudel’s emotional troubles came from the collapse of her career and her love/competition with Rodin; Rodin ended up the more successful painter for a number of reasons. First of all, he was always the more popular and prominent painter; even with her talent, she started work with the already-famous Rodin. Furthermore, her emotional state collapsed when Rodin’s relationship with her ended, thus making her more reclusive and turning her mad. She destroyed many of her own statues, and was holed up in a mental asylum until she died. Because of this, and the systemic oppression of women at the time which meant that women sculptors were not taken as seriously, Claudel did not enjoy as much fame as Rodin did in her career. Nonetheless, she managed to make an indelible impression on French sculpture in the 19th century, and her whirlwind romance with Rodin remains one of art’s most tragic love stories.
Works Cited
Nuytten, Bruno (dir.) Camille Claudel. Perf. Isabelle Adjani, Gerard Depardieu. Gaumont, 1988.
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