Camille Claudel and the search for freedom
Sculpture was existential for her: The documentary “Camille Claudel, an artist of the century,” which is currently being shown on Arte, tells the story of a woman who fought to be able to create art independently. Nature always had a great influence on her. Even as a child, Camille, born in 1864, was particularly impressed by the sea and the mighty chalk cliffs in France. These rough, huge rock structures can also be seen in her sculptures, which depict human bodies in motion. Today, the notches and cracks are evidence of her special style and are, to a certain extent, symbols of her emotional depth. Her works can be seen in close-ups, which were also expressions of her feelings and thoughts.
Camille Claudel had the dream of being independently recognized as a sculptor. But as the film suggests, she was plagued by the feeling that her art was meaningless. She later admitted herself to a psychiatric hospital, where she spent the last years before her death in 1943. She continued to take on smaller commissions, but the great success she had hoped for did not materialize.
Her relationships with the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin and the companions with whom she worked in the studio are told using historical photos, letters and the works of art themselves. She and her friends were the first women to study sculpture with Rodin. Sound recordings also help to gain an insight into their emotional world and bring the processing of the artistic legacy to life.
Rodin, who once became her lover and then turned away from her, appreciated her for her free spirit and her nonconformity. Only one surviving photo shows the two of them together. However, her options evaporated when her difficult relationship with her former teacher ended. Her individual fate is therefore representative of many creative women of that time who were dependent on the goodwill of more powerful men.
“Camille Claudel, an artist of the century”, Arte media libraryuntil November 5th
