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The Passion of Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin
Camille Claudel: The Way It All Started
Camille Claudel was born into a battle she never asked for. Her mother’s disappointment in her — a daughter when only a son would do — was no secret. “You were supposed to be my Claude,” Madame Claudel would remind her, voice dripping with disdain.
Her father, however, saw something special. Where others saw rebellion, he saw resilience. Where her mother saw a disgrace, he saw potential. One evening, as Camille shaped figures from the clay she loved more than anything, he proposed a bold idea: her sculptures should be shown to a master at Academie Colarossi — Alfred Boucher. Madame Claudel scoffed at the notion, but grudgingly agreed.
That meeting was the first genuine spark of Camille’s destiny. Enthralled by her raw talent and passion, Boucher offered to mentor her. For the first time, Camille felt seen — not as a disappointment or a curiosity, but as an artist.
A Society That Refused to Bend
Camille’s apprenticeship began in earnest during the 1860s. She immersed herself in a world of visionaries and…
