Camille Claudel

Camille Claudel (1864-1943)
The Waltz, 1892-1905
Neue Pinakothek, Munich

Unfortunately, Claudel's life story often overshadows her accomplishments as a sculptor. Both a student of Rodin and his lover until she was 30 years, their tumultuous relationship and her later incarceration in a mental asylum for the last 30 years of her life seep into the details of her work. While I am never one to think that biography is separate from creativity, talent and genius, it is important to look and see how an artist's work stands on its own.

Due to Claudel's connection with such a revered and well-known artist, it was difficult for her to shine on her own as a sculptor once their relationship ended. Some believe that her work is derivative of Rodin's others see its special beauty and her unique talent. Claudel's sculptures are intimate and flowing as you can see in The Waltz. At the same time it is fascinating to see read about discussions of the affect of Claudel on Rodin's work (she remains a source of inspiration for his work)

The original version of this sculpture was criticized for its too blatant nudity and it was strongly suggested to Claudel to add the drapery which she did. While the drapery may detract from Claudel's original intentions it showcases her sculptural talent.

An exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Art focused on the relationship and work of the two, both influencing the other in their work. Camille Claudel & Rodin: Fateful Encounter

Burghers of Calais

Burghers of Calais, modeled 1884-95
Auguste Rodin
bronze cast - 1985
lost wax casting of plaster model
H. 82 1/2 in.
Metropolitan Museum of of Art

Right hand image - first casting of sculpture in Calais, France. Installed 1895.
Image: http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/rodin/rodin_calais.html

One of the fascinating things about sculpture is the reproduction ability. Note the sculpture owned by the Met was cast in 1985, while the original was cast in 1895.

I discovered The Burghers of Calais during study for my first lecture hall lecture in graduate school. The work, along with much late 19th century work was strikingly different from my initial focus on Impressionism. The expression imbued in this monument is incredible, it works out now only of the subject matter (click on title above to get an overview of the story) of the sculpture but the texture and modeling, the position of the figures, facial expression, arm gestures and the hanging of heads. This approach to the monument was controversial because Rodin did not portray the burghers as heroes but as worn individuals. Rodin wished for the statue to be presented at the same level as the viewer, not on a pedestal, adding to the personal, real nature of the work.

Reading

Woman Reading, ca.1876, cast 1902
Aime-Jules Dalou (1838-1902)
Musee d'Orsay
H. 56.1; W. 43.9; D. 35.3 cm

This little gem was discovered on one of my weekly walks through one of the museum's galleries (I try to go once a week during lunch and spend time with things I've neglected up until now). I never noticed the piece before and adore the beauty and simplicity of the sculpture, and it doesn't hurt that the subject is a woman reading. This particular image comes from the collection of the Musee d'Orsay, as a number of statuettes were most cast from the original model, in various materials, stoneware, porcelain and bronze.

This particular statuette stems from an original model, Femme nue lisant dans un fauteuil
(Nude Woman Reading in an Armchair). This is my first foray into the work of Jules Dalou as a I rack up the areas of omission in my art historical brain (with the plethora of art history, that shall always be the case, happily!). My late 19th c. knowledge of sculptors is horribly limited to Rodin and it turns out Dalou was considered his rival for France's greatest sculptor! (as I read more, bits of memory float back so I am pretty sure he may have crossed my radar in the past but apparently did not stick!) "Dalou played a major role in French cultural life by providing influential alternatives to the Academy and the Salon as arbiters of modern art. He was a founding member of the Société des Artistes Français and later a founder of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts." (NGA bio)

Dalou had a strong belief in political and social equality, and is known for his statues of workers, in addition to grand-scale public works in Paris. Despite this, his domestic, more intimate realistic sculptures of women actually inaugurated the genre at the Salon in 1870 as the move beyond Academic Art (idealization of the human figure in this case) continued.