The Legacy of Camille Claudel

Originally written in 2021, unarchived and updated: this essay first appeared on Vocal Media, where it has since vanished.

The Waltz (La Valse ou Les Valseurs), 1889–c.1895, Musée Camille Claudel. Photo by Marco Illuminati.

Camille Claudel was a sculptress born in France with a Sagittarius Sun, Scorpio Rising, and Aries Moon. Her dominant elements—Fire and Earth—drew her, by the age of twelve, to work with her hands, shaping local earthen clays then burning them into form. This earthly fire eventually led her to disregard the restraints of her time—creating self-guided, stunning, and sensual artworks.

By an auspicious alignment of circumstances, Claudel’s neighbor in Nogent-sur-Seine was the notable sculptor Alfred Boucher. Recognizing her innate talent immediately, he took her on as a student and encouraged her family to move to Paris so she could enroll in the only arts school then available to women.

In 1881, Boucher won the Grand Prix de Salon and relocated to Florence. Before his departure, he introduced Camille to Auguste Rodin—a fated meeting that would forever shape her life.

Rodin was instantly captivated by Camille’s skill and beauty. He soon asked her to model for his monumental works The Gates of Hell (1880–1917) and The Burghers of Calais (1884–95).

The Gates of Hell, Auguste Rodin

Inside Rodin’s studio, their work was prolific. Camille progressed rapidly, capturing fleeting moments of ardor in bronze and clay. The years she spent as his studio assistant were also the most productive of his life. Historians believe the two collaborated on certain sculptures, as many masterpieces bear the imprint of two distinct sets of hands.

According to her star chart, Camille needed variety and depth in partnership. She longed for a lover who could meet her intellectually and exchange ideas. During their decade-long affair, Rodin’s work became more sensual—his famous Kiss (1889) and Eternal Idol (1890–93) both emerged during this passionate period. Their love and their art intertwined, yet throughout it all, Rodin remained bound to his lifelong companion, Rose Beuret.

"I sleep completely naked to make me believe you are here, but when I wake up it is not the same thing. Most of all, don't deceive me with other women anymore."
— Camille Claudel

The Kiss, Auguste Rodin

From the moment of their first meeting, Rodin’s presence would shape—and haunt—Camille’s life. He promoted her to critics, but most dismissed her originality, searching only for traces of his influence. She yearned to be seen as an artist in her own right—not merely Rodin’s mistress and protégé. Their relationship unraveled when she realized he would never leave Rose, despite repeated claims to do so and having signed a contract she had drafted, in which he promised explicitly that he would leave Rose and marry Camille.

Though Rodin was devoted to her in many ways, he felt bound to Rose, who had endured poverty by his side and cared for his ailing father when he was sick. Camille, twenty-four years his junior, was countercultural and fiercely independent. Eventually, she ended their relationship around 1896, asking a mutual friend to tell Rodin not to visit her anymore. Though she awakened new depths within him an his art, Camille was left deeply wounded by his false promises—from which she never fully recovered.

L'Âge Mûr (The Mature Age), Camille Claudel, 1893

Around 1899, Claude Debussy, composer of Clair de Lune, attempted to court her, but Camille could not open herself to love again. Instead, she poured herself into her work. Her sculptures began to attract acclaim, but were often deemed too erotic for the era—and state commissions remained elusive. As a woman, even gaining access to nude models was a challenge. Yet she refused to dilute her vision, sculpting not only nudes but passionate lovers, unapologetically raw and sensual.

L’Abandon, Camille Claudel, c.1886–1905, Musée Camille Claudel. Photo by Marco Illuminati.

Camille followed the inner workings of her soul. She was a wayshower—an artist revealing the psychological forces at play in human life. Her greatest works embody the moods and states of her subjects, qualities admired (and borrowed) by Rodin during their collaboration.

She longed to work in marble, unlike Rodin, who left the polishing to assistants. But she could rarely afford it, and state commissions were denied on the grounds that her works were “too risqué.”

Lack of support eventually drove her to an existential breaking point. She grew paranoid, convinced Rodin’s followers were conspiring against her, and began destroying her own work.

"With a pile of rubble accumulating in the middle of my studio, it's a veritable human sacrifice." — Camille Claudel

Only a fraction of her work survives. In 1913, days after her father’s death, she was forcibly taken to the Montdevergues asylum. Her mother refused further support, and Camille remained institutionalized for the rest of her life.

Allegories, Mythology, Camille Claudel, 1869

"I’ve fallen into an abyss. I live in a world so curious, so strange. Of the dream that was my life, this is my nightmare." — Camille Claudel

When she died in 1943, she was buried anonymously in a communal grave. For decades, both her life and art were nearly erased from history.

But in 1984, one hundred years after her affair with Rodin, the Musée Rodin held a groundbreaking exhibition of her sensual, provocative sculptures. The world rediscovered Camille Claudel, and she has fascinated ever since.

Preliminary sketch of The Kiss.

Since the 1980s, she has been the subject of three films, including Camille Claudel (1988), which was nominated for two Academy Awards. Today, the Musée Camille Claudel in Nogent-sur-Seine—where she began her artistic journey as a child—houses the largest collection of her work.

Camille Claudel continues to guide artists from the afterworld. Her energy reminds us to fulfill our promises, potentials, and passions. You can call on her spirit when you need to expand and express your most authentic self. Over a century later, her relentless effort and burning desire to have her art acknowledged have finally been realized. She is a testament to following lifelong dreams and creating artwork that endures.

Colorization of vintage Camille Claudel portrait.