Camille ClaudelFrench, 1864–1943Young Roman
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
Art Institute of Chicago
Room201Chicago, United States
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
In this plaster bust of her teenage brother, Paul, Camille Claudel portrayed the future writer and diplomat as a proud Roman patrician. The sitter’s solemn expression and the strictly frontal composition contrast with the thin drapery that swirls around his shoulders and ripples across his chest. Painted by the artist with transparent layers of yellow, red, green, and brown, the work imitates the oxidized surfaces of ancient Greek and Roman bronzes.
Claudel was among the most daring and visionary sculptors of the late 19th century. From around 1905 her mental health declined and, in 1913, she was forcibly interned for the remainder of her life in a psychiatric facility, having displayed symptoms of what was called paranoid psychosis. This event marked the premature end of her career.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2022.1438
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
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