Camille Claudel was recognized as a genius in her own time, and the details of her dramatic life—her relationship with Auguste Rodin and the 30 years she spent confined against her will in a mental institution—have inspired movies, plays, a novel, a musical, and a ballet.
The exhibition seen at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Los Angeles County Art Museum in 2023 and 2024 provided a re-evaluation of all aspects of Claudel's career, from her early portraits to nature studies to her most important allegorical and mythological subjects, as well as the artistic emulation that flowed between Claudel and Rodin.
Art historian David Gariff discusses the extraordinary success that Claudel achieved despite the many barriers facing women artists, particularly sculptors, at the turn of the 20th century.
General Information
