(movie) Camille Claudel

To me, Camille was just a "love of Rodin". That's all. I think many of you also know that. I didn't have any interest to her works before, because it is overshadowed by Rodin's.

Many people think that artists need some madness or misfortune in their lives for the artistic inspiration. It can be sublimated in art like Van Gogh's. It is almost impossible to be a great artist in their lifetime, but Van Gogh was fortunate, after all. There are too many unfortunate but also forgotten artists. Camille is one of them, I think.


"The Age of Maturity"


"The Waltz, 1899-1905"

After I watched the movie "Camille Claudel", I was really angry about her life.

I'm totally not a feminist, but while watching movies I thought her madness was not because she was a genius with too much passion and inspiration, but because she was a woman. Maybe also she was too pure and naive.

Camille met Rodin when she was 17 years old: Rodin was 41 at that time. They fell in love because they had same passion about sculpture.

She got off on the wrong foot. I think everything was her own fault.

First of all, she wanted to be a sculptor "Camille Claudel", not one of the Rodin's assistants. It was her own fault. She touched on the issues that were taboo at that time (or even now). There was a silent taboo made by men. Also, nobody wants their assistant being more famous than themselves, even it is their lover. Especially if it is a man. he doesn't want to accept a little girl, whatever talent she had.

Second, even though she was obssessed with marrying him, he already had everything: a warm house and wife, a fame as a sculptor, and money. Camille was just one of his mistresses, or a muse as a source of artistic inspiration for him, but she just didn't realize it. She was too young and pure when she met him: she was just 17 years old! See? He had no intention of marrying her.

Her life had no meaning without Rodin. When she turned 49, she was sent to a mental hospital.

We should never ignore a life, no matter whose life it is. Camille's life was totally neglected by the people around her. People didn't buy her sculpture anymore after they broke up and did not even accept it as hers. Her younger brother, Paul Claudel, who was a successful diplomat and poet, sent her to the hospital. Was she that dangerous? She was a just pitiful woman who fell in love! Rodin never visited her in the psychiatric hospital. People around her killed her by ignoring her, I think. Unless people neglect themsleves, others should not do harm by bad mouthing or ignoring any individal. It is cruel.