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French Genius and Tragedy
CELEBRATED FOR HER brilliance during a time when women sculptors were rare, Camille Claudel was among the most daring and visionary artists of the late 19th century—yet her figurative works such as the amorous bronze The Waltz and marble Sakuntala remain little known outside of her native France. Claudel is remembered instead for her dramatic and tragic life story, primarily for her passionate relationship with artist Auguste Rodin—the Musée Rodin in Paris has a room dedicated to her works—and for her three-decade internment by her family in a psychiatric institution. Composer Claude Debussy also pursued her and kept a copy of The Waltz in his studio until his death. A major exhibition opening April 2 at the Getty Center, Camille Claudel seeks to reevaluate and affirm her legacy within a more complex Modernist genealogy; the show includes some 60 sculptures. 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A., 310.440.7300, getty.edu
