Camille Claudel: A Life

by Odile Ayral-Clause

A carefully researched portrait of the life of the nineteenth-century French sculptor and an examination of her works are drawn from previously unpublished materials including family photographs, private letters, and medical records, in a volume that discusses her relationship with Auguste Rodin and the challenges she met as a woman.

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Gender, Feminism, Art History

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Lisa Wiertel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well-researched book. I read this book after reading the historical fiction book "Rodin's Lover". I needed to find out the story on what was known about Camille Claudel. I can't remember a biography that drew me in as much as this. This book contains art, passion, regret, love, mental illness and a dysfunctional family that's actions were painful to read at times. Camille, who when younger, was obsessed to live a life of her own choosing became of a victim of her family's ignorance, jealousy and greed. Even though Camille had faults they were in no way so bad that she had to live the rest of her life put away alone. I highly recommend this book.

[Laurie Tomchak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting view of Claudel's dramatic and tragic life. She profited from Rodin's help in selling her work and getting commissions. When she tried to break from him, her career took a nose dive. She was hospitalized by her family as a paranoid schizophrenic, but also because she was the designated crazy person for her family, whose most famous member was Paul Claudel, the famous extreme Catholic poet and playwright. A complicated story, and one which points up women's roles in society. Rosa Bonheur became a great success perhaps because she painted horses rather than nudes, even though she lived openly as a Lesbian. Was it Claudel's forceful personality and her choice of sexual subjects that made her life difficult? Were her mental problems a result or a cause of her lack of recognition? Hard to tell, but this book helps us think about these questions in an interesting way.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

To read about Camille Claudel is to just breathe injustice. She was so brilliant and so ahead of her time. The book presents a pretty fair portrait -- without overly victimizing her...

[Liana · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I found the story of Camille Claudel very interesting, I did not like this book. The author seems to have found a use for her dissertation rather than simply telling the story of the life of Camille Claudel.

The author also failed to follow a true timeline, thus making the book and story very difficult to follow. And while Claudel was an artist, the reader does not need to see every single critique written on every single art piece.

The author also made many jumps in logic and many assumptions. There were too many "perhaps" and "maybes" and assumptions of feelings based on little to no evidence.

For some reason the author included a great deal of information that had no bearing on the life of Camille Claudel. For example, the in-depth discussion of the life of Lipscomb is absolutely unnecessary.

Lastly I found the end of the book extremely disappointing, as the author decided to finish with a positive quotation from Paul Claudel who, by the facts presented in this book, was an absolute horrible person and hypocrite.

If you are looking for a biography of Camille Claudel, I would certainly suggest that you find a different one.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was well written. I think Camille was a huge talent as far as sculpting went, but she was up against the big boys, who didn't think I woman should be showcasing her work alongside of them. I was suprised that she didn't have woman as support systems who could as a united front take on the boys. I think her relationship with Auguste Rodin was not a good match, since he already had a lover with a child of his. She chose to work with him to gain the knowledge and he became her teacher. He promised her that he would marry her, but that was not to be.

[Susan Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason I read this is I had gone to see a movie with Juliet Binoche playing Camille. I knew nothing of this woman prior to seeing the movie, and certainly wish I had read this book before seeing the movie.

What an amazing artist, especially considering the obstacles she faced as a woman artist in the late 1800's. And what a sad sad ending to her life, spending the last 30 years in an asylum.

[Suanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-researched book, yet not entirely dispassionate. I read this book after reading Rodin's Lover by Heather Webb. Camille Claudel: A Life is told in a more distant point of view and gives more of a balanced view as to Rodin's influence on Claudel's sculpture, that he helped her rather than taking advantage of her. This book seems to promote Rodin at times rather than taking Claudel's part. I liked the photographs of the artwork and the family photos that were included. Ayral-Clause writes well about art, passion, regret, love, and Claudel's dysfunctional family and her love-to-hate relationship with Rodin. However, the distant point of view keeps her from seeing into the depths of Claudel’s mental illness and self-isolation. We’re never in her home experiencing her delusions and paranoia.

[Ashlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You find me at work; excuse the dust on my blouse. I sculpt my marble myself."

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vida de Camille Claudel dava (e deu!) um filme. A vida de Camille Claudel, e sobretudo a morte que lhe axonteceu logo em vida, foi intensa e trágica. O seu amor pelo genial Rodin (seu amante por longo período de tempo) e a separação de ambos, deu-lhe ânimo às mãos mas desfez-lhe o coração. A essa angústia chamaram loucura.
Em nome dessa loucura, encareceram-na trinta anos. A mulher jovem e bela que apenas queria estar no lar, mesmo por detrás de portas cerradas, deu lugar a uma desconhecida que sentada numa cadeira já não espera ninguém, nem ninguém a espera.

Uma biografia muito intensa, onde recuperamos a vida e obra desta magnífica escultora.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing wasn't flawless, but Camille's life story was well worth the time. I saw a movie version of her life, explaining how she suffered decades in a mental institution after her amazing career as an underrated but exquisite sculptor. She and her lover Rodin both suffered after their affair ended, as did their shared work.

[Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography is heartbreaking: a genius sculptor goes mad because no one appreciates her work (because she is a woman), her family has her committed and leaves her for 30 years in an asylum. Well written, and very interesting, but biography just isn't my favorite genre.

I picked this up because I will be playing in a new musical about her.

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[Louenore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Des années que je voulais en savoir plus sur la vie de Camille Claudel, c'est chose faite et je suis ravie d'avoir pris ce temps. Un ouvrage très riche, et très complet, fourni en lettres et photos. Je recommande vivement.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women's history, art history, and a love story - so glad to read this. She intrigued me after the movie, Rodin. Her family makes me more thankful for my own.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across a used copy of this book while trying to find a copy of the movie "Camille Claudel" with Isabelle Adjani and Gerard Depardieu, which I had seen years ago and wanted to rewatch. The book is meticulously researched, and sympathetic to its subject, a fascinating, incredibly talented, and ultimately rather pathetic figure. Student and lover of Rodin, and a sculptor of great genius in her own right, Claudel spent the last 30 years of her long life in "sequestration" in a mental asylum, mostly ignored by the family who kept her there rather than risk embarrassment at her hands. She was a woman much ahead of her time, and it's a fascinating and rather heartbreaking read. And there are pictures of her sculptures to pore over as you read.

[HHWalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and researched, lacked bias on a historical account so often causing such. One of my few research books I want to reread, like a whole bunch.

[Cristina Contilli]

Un diverso punto di vista sulla Claudel. L'autrice è una studiosa di Jessie Lipscomb scultrice che ha diviso per 3 anni un atelier con Camille nella Francia degli anni '80 dell'800 e che ha sperimentato quanto all'epoca la scultura fosse considerata ancora un'arte prevalentemente maschile... d'altra parte negli anni '800 dell'800 si verifica l'accesso progressivo delle donne ad una serie di professioni fino a poco tempo prima ancora a loro precluse: basti pensare che il 1884 (l'anno di entrata di Camille nell'atelier di Rodin) è anche l'anno in cui per la prima volta le donne vengono ammesse al concorso per l'internato in medicina...

[Kathy Houser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent and heart breaking story of art, love, mental illness and genius. After reading about the life of Camille Claudel, I rate her right up there with Frida Kahlo as a creative genius of a woman who suffered and refused to yield to others.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides]

This seems to be well-researched, with lots of good background information, but I know how it ends, and that is somewhat draining my motivation to read it.

[Lydia Klima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about a great sculptor. Camille was way ahead of her time, a great artist, and what a love life!