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Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel
The author, a Rodin specialist, examines the interplay of passion, self-destruction, and aesthetic development that characterized one of the most artistically fruitful, yet ultimately tragic, turn-of-the-century love affairs.
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 25, 2016
This is a short examination of the very turbulent relationship between Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin.
Rodin was starting to enter the apex of his career when Camille became his student. There was a 24 year age difference between them – and Camille was 21 years of age when she started working as an apprentice with Rodin. This is a highly impressionable age when we consider that Rodin was the master sculptor and Camille had been dreaming of living the life of an artist-sculptor. Inevitably she fell under his spell – and Rodin under hers.
It was always a tempestuous relationship. Camille wanted Rodin for herself, but he was already in a long-term relationship with another woman, Rose Beurat. Camille was never going to win this battle – and there was anguish and passion from all sides. The author does not belabour this relationship – this is not a psychological analysis. But, no doubt as the author points out, some insights can be gleaned from the sculptural output of both artists.
There are discussions of the sculptures of both Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin. The pictures in this book are superb (the main reason I bought it) – and well illustrate the passion of their lives.
The author suggests that Camille failed to find her own niche – and she possibly could have found this as a highly skilled craft-person – much of her output was small.
It is extremely melancholy that Camille’s last thirty years of life were spent in an institution. Obviously some of this was due to her highly unsatisfactory relationship with Rodin. The author also points out that family members, particularly her mother, strongly disapproved of her life as an artist.
Rodin was starting to enter the apex of his career when Camille became his student. There was a 24 year age difference between them – and Camille was 21 years of age when she started working as an apprentice with Rodin. This is a highly impressionable age when we consider that Rodin was the master sculptor and Camille had been dreaming of living the life of an artist-sculptor. Inevitably she fell under his spell – and Rodin under hers.
It was always a tempestuous relationship. Camille wanted Rodin for herself, but he was already in a long-term relationship with another woman, Rose Beurat. Camille was never going to win this battle – and there was anguish and passion from all sides. The author does not belabour this relationship – this is not a psychological analysis. But, no doubt as the author points out, some insights can be gleaned from the sculptural output of both artists.
There are discussions of the sculptures of both Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin. The pictures in this book are superb (the main reason I bought it) – and well illustrate the passion of their lives.
The author suggests that Camille failed to find her own niche – and she possibly could have found this as a highly skilled craft-person – much of her output was small.
It is extremely melancholy that Camille’s last thirty years of life were spent in an institution. Obviously some of this was due to her highly unsatisfactory relationship with Rodin. The author also points out that family members, particularly her mother, strongly disapproved of her life as an artist.
November 16, 2008
I spent most of my short academic career studying 19th century women artists, so I could not resist grabbing this book at a rummage sale, a "for old times' sake" kind of reflex.
I am very glad I did, as this is a very "temperate" look at the Camille Claudel / Auguste Rodin story. By that I mean that the author resisted the temptation to fall into an overly militant interpretation of the relationship between those two artists. This was particularly evident in the analysis of Camille Claudel's work and career; I was very impressed with the "sober" read of her actual worth as a sculptor. I also appreciated the author's obviously conscious effort to stay clear of any sensationalism, a very easy pitfall when one considers the truly dramatic nature of the source material.
The illustrations are very well chosen and serve the text very efficiently.
Finally, it is a very fascinating read, a great accomplishment for an analytical, albeit strongly biographical, book.
I am very glad I did, as this is a very "temperate" look at the Camille Claudel / Auguste Rodin story. By that I mean that the author resisted the temptation to fall into an overly militant interpretation of the relationship between those two artists. This was particularly evident in the analysis of Camille Claudel's work and career; I was very impressed with the "sober" read of her actual worth as a sculptor. I also appreciated the author's obviously conscious effort to stay clear of any sensationalism, a very easy pitfall when one considers the truly dramatic nature of the source material.
The illustrations are very well chosen and serve the text very efficiently.
Finally, it is a very fascinating read, a great accomplishment for an analytical, albeit strongly biographical, book.
December 4, 2022
This was shockingly misogynistic account of Camille Claudel's and Auguste Rodin's romantic and artistic relationship. It was entirely sympathetic to Rodin: any success as an artist that Claudel enjoyed was because he was her instructor. Any deficiency was because how could she possibly attain his heights? He treats her shabbily, agreeing to marry her and educate her and then reneging shamelessly and continuing to live with another woman who was clearly happy to put up with his philandering. What is described as her mental illness, and for which she is eventually incarcerated, seems to me to be simply the trauma of being in an unequal relationship with a powerful, domineering character, and receiving no support from those around her, including her family and friends. I find myself pretty disgusted by his behaviour, and by this author's complete acceptance of it, and hoping that a more sympathetic critic has assessed her work elsewhere.
November 15, 2007
Sure, they demolished eachother (he more than her), but boy, could they sculpt!
November 24, 2012
Seemed sympathetic to both sides, not largely surprising, worth reading as background.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews