1000 Museums

Camille Claudel was a French sculptor. She first studied at the Académie Colarossi under Alfred Boucher, before meeting and subsequently working under Auguste Rodin. As her mentor, confidante and lover, Rodin became a large influence throughout Claudel’s works of art. Claudel’s interpretations and designs were daring, fusing sexuality, and non-conventional gender norms. Her unconventionality and financial hardships were factors in her relative obscurity throughout her life. By 1905, Claudel destroyed much of her oeuvre and dealt with mental instability. Her family committed her to a psychiatric hospital, neglecting her. After Claudel’s death, her popularity increased. In her teenage hometown, the Musée Camille Claudel was opened in March 2017.