Camille Claudel, The Age of Maturity, 1893-1900, [S.1380] Photo : © ADAGP, Paris, 2012
What if the photo above had no caption, and I claimed this was the sculpture by Auguste Rodin? Do you see where I am going with this? TLDR: Camile Claudel did expressive exaggeration well before Rodin and Auguste Rodin appropriated her style becoming an art world phenom.
It all started out so simple:
”…Born in northern France, Claudel moved with her family to Paris around 1881. Early on, she was recognized for both her artistic talent and her physical beauty. After studying sculpture at the Académie Colarossi, she shared an independent studio where Alfred Boucher taught. In 1885, Auguste Rodin asked Claudel to become a studio assistant. …” [LINK]
The opportunity:
”…Her mother Louise did not approve of Claudel's "unladylike desire to become an artist."Her father was more supportive and took examples of her artwork to their artist neighbor, Alfred Boucher, to assess her abilities. Boucher confirmed that Claudel was a capable, talented artist and encouraged her family to support her study of sculpture. Camille moved with her mother, brother, and younger sister to the Montparnasse area of Paris in 1881. Her father [Major applause for this father] remained behind, working to support them...” [Link]
The sad ending:
Claudel started working in Rodin's workshop in 1883 and became a source of inspiration for him. She acted as his model, his confidante, and his lover. She never lived with Rodin, who was reluctant to end his 20-year relationship with Rose Beuret. Knowledge of the affair agitated her family, especially her mother, who already detested her for not being a boy and never approved of Claudel's involvement in the arts. As a consequence, Claudel was forced to leave the family home. In 1891, Claudel served as a jurist at the National Society of Fine Arts, which was reported to be "something of a boys' club at the time." In 1892, after an abortion, Claudel ended the intimate aspect of her relationship with Rodin, although they saw each other regularly until 1898.
It gets sadder:
Reclusion and recognition. The fact that she was not awarded a commission from the French state increased Claudel's paranoia with regard to Rodin, whom she nicknamed “The Ferret” and whose influence she imagined each time she met with failure. She went on to destroy most of her work, terrified that Rodin's “henchmen” would find them and steal her ideals. She was later committed to an asylum, rejected by her family, and probably died alone.
Get free tickets here for her exhibition at the Getty Museum: [Link]