History of Camille Claudel in Timeline

Camille Claudel (1864-1943) was a French sculptor celebrated for her expressive figurative sculptures in bronze and marble. Despite facing societal barriers and personal struggles, including a tumultuous relationship with Auguste Rodin, Claudel produced significant works like "The Waltz" and "The Mature Age." She was eventually confined to a mental institution, where she spent the last thirty years of her life. Although she died in relative obscurity, Claudel's artistic talent was posthumously recognized, establishing her as a prominent figure in the history of sculpture.

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Full Timeline Legacy & Impact

1900: Creation of The Mature Age

In 1900, Claudel created The Mature Age, often seen as an allegory of life's three stages: Maturity drawn to Old Age/Death, with Youth trying to save him. Her brother viewed it as symbolizing her split from Rodin.

1902: Completion of Perseus and the Gorgon

In 1902, Claudel completed a large sculpture of Perseus and the Gorgon.

1903: Exhibitions at Salons

Beginning in 1903, Camille Claudel began exhibiting her works at the Salon des Artistes français or at the Salon d'Automne.

1905: Mental Health Decline

After 1905, Claudel showed signs of mental illness, including destroying statues, disappearing, paranoia, and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. She accused Rodin of stealing her ideas and plotting to kill her.

1905: Creation of La Valse

In 1905, Claudel created a second edition of La Valse.

1905: Casting of The Implorer

Modeled in 1898 and cast in 1905, The Implorer was cast in Paris by Eugene Blot. The figure has been interpreted not as purely autobiographical but as an even more powerful representation of change and purpose in the human condition.

1906: Seclusion After Brother's Wedding

Following her brother's wedding in 1906 and his return to China, Claudel lived secluded in her workshop.

March 1913: Admission to Psychiatric Hospital

Following the death of her father, Camille Claudel was admitted to the psychiatric hospital of Ville-Évrard in Neuilly-sur-Marne on March 10, 1913, at the request of her younger brother Paul.

1913: First visit from her brother Paul after confinement

In 1913, Paul Claudel visited his confined older sister for the first time after she was admitted to the psychiatric hospital.

September 1914: Transfer to Montdevergues Asylum

On September 7, 1914, to be safe from advancing German troops, Camille Claudel was transferred with other patients from Ville-Évrard, first to Enghien, and then to the Montdevergues Asylum near Avignon. Her admittance certificate, signed on September 22, 1914, cited "systematic persecution delirium".

1915: Setting of Camille Claudel 1915

The film Camille Claudel 1915 is set in 1915.

June 1920: Recommendation for reintegration into family environment

On June 1, 1920, Dr. Brunet sent a letter advising Camille Claudel's mother to try to reintegrate her daughter into the family environment, but nothing came of it.

1925: Visit from her brother Paul

In 1925, Paul Claudel visited his confined older sister.

1927: Visit from her brother Paul

In 1927, Paul Claudel visited his confined older sister.

June 1929: Death of Camille Claudel's mother

Camille Claudel's mother died in June 1929, without ever having visited her daughter during her confinement.

1929: Jessie Lipscomb visits Camille Claudel

In 1929, sculptor and Claudel's former friend Jessie Lipscomb visited her, and afterwards insisted "it was not true" that Claudel was insane.

1930: Rodin sculpture L'éternelle Idole

In 1930, Rodin's sculpture, L'éternelle Idole, had a high estimate of $75,000.

1933: Visit from her brother Paul

In 1933, Paul Claudel visited his confined older sister.

1936: Visit from her brother Paul

In 1936, Paul Claudel visited his confined older sister.

October 1943: Camille Claudel's Death

Camille Claudel died on October 19, 1943, after spending 30 years in the Montfavet asylum. Her brother Paul was informed of her terminal illness and visited her, but was not present at her death or funeral.

October 1943: Death of Camille Claudel

Camille Claudel, a French sculptor known for her figurative works in bronze and marble, died in October 1943. Despite dying in relative obscurity, she later gained recognition for her originality and the quality of her work. She is the subject of several biographies and films, and is well known for sculptures including The Waltz and The Mature Age.

1943: Imagined End of Claudel's Life in These Good Hands

Carol Bruneau's 2015 novel, These Good Hands, portrays the imagined end of Camille Claudel's life in 1943, focusing on her relationship with her caregiving nurse.

1943: Visit from her brother Paul and his last visit

In 1943, Paul Claudel visited his confined older sister. This was the last time Paul visited her.

1951: Exhibition at the Musée Rodin

In 1951, Paul Claudel organized an exhibition at the Musée Rodin, which continues to display her sculptures.

1982: Publication of Une femme by Anne Delbée

In 1982, the publication of the fictionalized biography Une femme, by author Anne Delbée, sparked a resurgence of interest in Camille Claudel's work.

Une femme (Cercle Maxi-livres)

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1984: Large Exhibition of Works

In 1984, a large exhibition of Camille Claudel's works was organized.

1988: Release of film Camille Claudel

In 1988, the film Camille Claudel, a dramatization of her life directed by Bruno Nuytten and starring Isabelle Adjani and Gérard Depardieu, was released.

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1989: Camille Claudel Nominated for Academy Awards

In 1989, the film Camille Claudel received two Academy Award nominations.

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1998: Creation of Le Dieu Envolé

In 1998, Claudel created Le Dieu Envolé.

1998: Composition of Death of a Little Girl with Doves

In 1998, composer Jeremy Beck created Death of a Little Girl with Doves, an operatic soliloquy inspired by Camille Claudel's life and letters.

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2000: Premiere of S.P. Miskowski's La Valse

In 2000, the Seattle playwright S.P. Miskowski's La Valse premiered, a well-researched look at Claudel's life.

2002: Details of Camille Claudel's Burial Revealed in Book

According to the 2002 book, Camille Claudel, A Life, after ten years, Camille's remains were moved to a communal grave at the asylum, mixed with the bones of the most destitute.

2003: Production of Camille Claudel Musical

In 2003, Frank Wildhorn and Nan Knighton's musical Camille Claudel was produced by Goodspeed Musicals at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut.

2003: Plans for Claudel Museum Announced

In 2003, plans to transform the Claudel family home in Nogent-sur-Seine into a museum were announced. The museum negotiated with the Claudel family to acquire Camille's works, including 70 pieces and a bust of Rodin.

2005: Art Display in Quebec City and Detroit

In 2005 a large art display featuring the works of Rodin and Claudel was exhibited in Quebec City (Canada), and Detroit, Michigan, in the US.

2005: Auction Sale of La Valse

In 2005, Sotheby's sold a second edition of La Valse (1905, Blot, number 21) for $932,500.

2008: Retrospective Exhibition at Musée Rodin

In 2008, the Musée Rodin organized a retrospective exhibition including more than 80 of her works.

2009: Paris Auction of Le Dieu Envolé

In 2009, at a Paris auction, Claudel's Le Dieu Envolé (1894/1998, foundry Valsuani, signed and numbered 6/8) had a high estimate of $180,000.

2011: Premiere of Boris Eifman's Rodin Ballet

In 2011, Boris Eifman's new ballet Rodin premiered in St Petersburg, Russia, dedicated to Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel's life and work.

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2012: World Premiere of Camille Claudel Play

In 2012, the world premiere of the play Camille Claudel, written, performed and directed by Gaël Le Cornec, took place at the Pleasance Courtyard Edinburgh Festival, exploring the master-muse relationship from Camille's perspective.

2013: Premiere of Camille Claudel 1915

In 2013, the film Camille Claudel 1915, directed by Bruno Dumont and starring Juliette Binoche, premiered at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival.

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2014: Premiere of Claudel in Columbus

In 2014, the Columbus Dance Theatre and the Carpe Diem String Quartet performed the premiere of Claudel in Columbus, Ohio.

2015: Publication of These Good Hands

A 2015 novel by Carol Bruneau, These Good Hands, imagines the end of Camille Claudel's life in 1943, through the relationship with her caregiving nurse.

2017: Opening of the Camille Claudel Museum

In 2017, The national Camille Claudel Museum in Nogent-sur-Seine opened. Claudel was a longtime associate of sculptor Auguste Rodin, and the Musée Rodin in Paris has a room dedicated to her works.

2017: Release of Rodin film

In 2017, the film Rodin, co-starring Izïa Higelin as Claudel, was released.

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2017: Opening of the Musée Camille Claudel

In March 2017, the Musée Camille Claudel, a French national museum dedicated to Claudel's work, opened in her teenage home town of Nogent-sur-Seine. The museum displays approximately half of her 90 surviving works.

2021: Premiere of Meryl Tankard's Claudel Ballet

In 2021, Australian choreographer Meryl Tankard choreographed Claudel for the Sydney Opera House, based on Claudel's life and her relationship with Rodin, written and directed by Wendy Beckett.

2023: Major Retrospective Co-organized by Art Institute of Chicago and J. Paul Getty Museum

In 2023, The Art Institute of Chicago and the J. Paul Getty Museum co-organized a major retrospective of her work, featuring 60 sculptures from more than 30 institutional and private lenders. The show gathered many of her key compositions in terracotta, plaster, bronze, and stone.