Sculptor Camille Claudel: biography, creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Many famous artists, writers, composers have left their mark on eternity. Their names are known throughout the world. But there are brilliant creators whose fate was tragic, and today few people remember them. This is the life story of Camille Claudel, a talented sculptor and muse of the legendary Rodin.

White Crow in its environment

Camilla was born in sunny France on December 8, 1864, in a respectable bourgeois family. The girl's father made good money doing business and real estate transactions. The mother came from a farming family with strong Catholic traditions and was a classic example of a wife, mother and mistress of the time. How could such an unusual child be born in such an ordinary patriarchal family? Apparently, Providence does not really think about this. And the girl really turned out strange. Camilla did not like to play with dolls and do household chores like her mother. Her hobby was long walks around the area, during which she could dream for hours and enjoy the pristine beauty of nature.

The most favorite occupation of young Camille Claudel was modeling. She constantly brought home clay from the river bank and sculpted figurines of family members first, then more complex images. Mom Claudel was very annoyed by her daughter's occupation, because she considered all this pampering, and she also constantly had to wash soiled clothes. The girl's father was a rather harsh person, but his daughter's talent was noticed and supported when the time came. Along with talent, Camille got a very bright appearance and a daring, freedom-loving, strong character. Therefore, this girl was not destined to become a respectable bourgeois wife and mother, live peacefully in the provinces, go to church and be friends with her neighbors. A stormy, eventful, strange and terrible fate awaited her.

Two geniuses in one family

One brilliant child in an ordinary family - this is often found in history. But two geniuses at once … This is exactly what happened in the Claudel family. Camilla's brother Paul was born - a famous poet, writer, playwright, religious figure and diplomat. Paul's glory will eventually overshadow the talent of his older sister, and he will practically disown her. But then, in childhood, Camilla was everything to him: a deity, a mentor, a friend and an idol. The younger brother happily posed for his sister's sculptures, shared her views on life, supported all undertakings and obeyed her tough temper. They were very friendly. Camilla loved her brother and had a great influence on the development of his creative nature. Subsequently, already being recognized as a genius, Paul did not help his sister in a tragic life situation, he preferred to step backand almost forget about it. She was everything to him in childhood, he remained everything to her until the end of her life.

Ahead of time

The Claudel family often moved from city to city due to the traveling nature of the activity of the head of the family. In 1881 they moved to Paris. Camille was seventeen years old and, full of hope, she went to study art at the Colarossi Academy. Formal training in the creative professions was not available to women in the nineteenth century. Therefore, Camilla and a few other girls were engaged in voluntary work in the workshop of Alfred Boucher.

It must be said that Boucher has already seen the work of young Camille, once visiting her father. The sculptor highly appreciated the work of Claudel and advised him to develop his skills in Paris. And so it happened. During her studies, many noted the amazing gift of Camilla, the singularity and special magic of her works. By the way, one of the famous and respected sculptors, having seen the work of Claudel, issued a verdict that the girl took lessons from Rodin himself. Although it wasn't. But it came true in the near future. Somehow the legendary Auguste Rodin went into the workshop of Boucher's students to give a lesson. It was impossible not to notice the bright girl, and soon she began to work as an apprentice for the great master. This meeting dramatically changed the biography of Camille Claudel.

Fateful meeting with Rodin

Claudel for Auguste Rodin became an assistant, model and lover. He found incredible inspiration and perfect beauty in her. Of course, Rodin had a greatinfluence on the work of a young artist. Moreover, Rodin and Camille Claudel somehow perceived this surrounding reality and the inner world of a person in a similar way. They were people of equal talent: a teacher and a student. But such a seemingly fruitful collaboration turned into a creative tragedy for Camilla. Her work was constantly compared with Rodin's, drawing a direct parallel. There were constant remarks about imitation and borrowing.

Even while recognizing the artistic flawlessness of Camille Claudel's work, critics have always mentioned her name next to Rodin. For example, her "Oblivion" was considered by everyone to be a repetition of Rodin's "The Kiss". The master himself tried to explain to the general public that Claudel is an independent creative unit, endowed with a natural gift. But it sounded somehow languid and unconvincing. The confrontation of geniuses sooner or later had to lead to a break.

Impossible love

Creative torments complemented the torments of love. Like all brilliant natures, Camilla did not know the middle either in creativity or in love. She wanted all or nothing. Love for Rodin was passionate and painful. She found in him a vital and creative force, she lived with this love. He also loved her madly. But another woman has long and firmly been present in his life.

Rodin had a lot to do with Rose Beret. She was next to him in his difficult times, shared his ups and downs with the sculptor. Auguste explained to his young lover that he could not leave Rose becauseshe is sick and dependent on him, and he owes her a lot. But these explanations did not suit the passionate and proud Camilla. Once she nevertheless put him before a choice: either I or she. He chose. She had to leave. But Camille Claudel was sure that this was a temporary defeat, that her youth, beauty and talent would win, Auguste would definitely come for her, she simply could not live without her. Did not come. Smog. And she didn't come back.

Hate

And then fierce hatred came. Camille blamed Rodin for all her big and small problems. True, she worked very hard and created a large number of talented works. Among them are the famous "W altz", the poignant "Maturity", the touching "Prayer". Camille Claudel actively exhibited in famous halls and salons. But, apparently, passion, resentment, pride and, at the same time, love, burned her from the inside. They say that she wandered all night under the windows of Rodin and shouted curses and curses. The outbursts of hatred became more frequent. Once she broke all the sculptures in her workshop. Most likely, these were manifestations of a psychopathic personality type, which is characteristic of creative, sensitive people.

But, in the end, Camilla was given a terrible diagnosis: schizophrenia. She began to experience financial difficulties, sometimes she had nothing to even pay for the apartment. Although the doctors argued that isolation from society was not necessary, the family considered Camille Claudel's illness dangerous and decided to send the woman to a closed psychiatric clinic. She had toobey. It was the beginning of the end.

Oblivion

In 1913, the sculptor Camille Claudel died to art. She spent the next thirty years of her life in a closed psychiatric hospital in Ville-Evrard. On several occasions, doctors suggested that relatives take her home, not seeing the need to keep the woman in isolation. But Camilla's mother always refused. Few people visited her, she received rare letters only from her brother Paul. The clinic, where Camille Claudel spent three decades, was famous for harsh conditions for patients and an unnecessarily harsh life.

They say that Claudel was never truly crazy. What the woman thought, what she felt, being among mentally ill people, seeing their suffering and torment, no one will ever know. It is only known that Camilla behaved closed, detached and apathetic. And never touched her beloved clay again. Talented and forgotten by everyone, she died in 1943.

Glory

The glory that this extraordinary woman so passionately dreamed of, bypassed her during her lifetime. But posthumously, the work of Camille Claudel found its place in history. Not only as the muse of the famous Rodin, but also as a unique sculptor. Her work is in private collections and world museums. A ballet was staged about her life in 1999 and a feature film of the same name starring Isabelle Adjani was made. Too short and very bright creative life, long oblivion during life: such was the price for genius. Once the critic Octave Mirabeau said aboutCamille: "Rebellion against nature: a woman is a genius!".