Camille Claudel

This is a portrait of Rodin's assistant and lover, Camille Claudel, a sculptress in her own right. Auguste Rodin's career maps the progress of 19th-century art, from the Romantic revolt against Neoclassicism, to the radical enquiry that paved the way for the Modernist developments of the 20th century. The V&A's collection of works by Rodin is unique in that they were given by the artist, to represent his art in Britain and commemorate British soldiers fighting in France in November 1914. In this bust Rodin has deliberately left the seam lines created by the piece moulds used in the casting. This is characteristic of his desire to challenge existing concepts of beauty and ‘finish’.