Youth, ripeness and old age

On Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 13:15

Camilla Claudel and its work mature age

He has written himself very much on the tortured relations of some of the big geniuses of the art. For putting some example. There are very well-known the stormy relations that Picasso had with the women, many of them went on from the study to the bed and hence to the linen, or the other way round. Also there have been a study object the relations that Amadeo Modigliani and Diego Rivera maintained with Jeanne Hebuterne y Frida Kahlo, respectively. I have turned to run into a big love story and hate, of passion and of scorn. It is a question of the relation between two big sculptors of the ends of the XIXth century and the beginning of the XXth century: Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel. Today I would like centring on the figure of the artist, a big sculptress ununderstood in its time (when the intellectuality was a prerogative of the man) and that only after more than thirty years of its death reached the unanimous recognition. Son muy conocidas las relaciones tormentosas que Picasso tuvo con las mujeres, muchas de ellas pasaron del estudio a la cama y de ahí al lienzo, o al revés. También han sido objeto de estudio las relaciones que mantuvieron Amadeo Modigliani y Diego Rivera con Jeanne Hebuterne y Frida Kahlo, respectivamente. Me he vuelto a topar con una gran historia de amor y odio, de pasión y de desdén. Se trata de la relación entre dos grandes escultores de finales del siglo XIX y principios del siglo XX: Auguste Rodin y Camille Claudel. Hoy me gustaría centrarme en la figura de la artista, una gran escultora incomprendida en su tiempo (cuando la intelectualidad era un prerrogativa del hombre) y que solo después de más de treinta años de su muerte alcanzó el reconocimiento unánime.

Camille Claudel (1864 - 1943) was a French sculptress who lived in the shade of one of the big main nineteenth-century sculptors: Auguste Rodin (1840 - 1917). A beyond the common woman. It had to face to its epoch and to its own family to be able to devote itself to the sculpture and power live along with its big love, Rodin. Everything had it to triumph: beauty, talent, intelligence and courage. Una mujer fuera de lo común. Tuvo que enfrentarse a su época y a su propia familia para poder dedicarse a la escultura y poder vivir junto a su gran amor, Rodin. Lo tenía todo para triunfar: belleza, talento, inteligencia y coraje.

He was born in Villeneuve-sur-Fère (region of Aquitaine). He wanted to be an artist and had predisposition for the handling of the clay. With the support of its parents (slightly habitual circumstance in the epoch) young Camille presented before himself in Paris in 1881. He lived in Montparnasse being present at the academy Colarossi. Con el apoyo de sus padres (circunstancia poco habitual en la época) una joven Camille se presentó en París en 1881. Vivió en Montparnasse asistiendo a la academia Colarossi.

In 1883 it had its first meeting with Auguste Rodin. On the following year he began to study in its workshop and turned, in the course of time, into collaborator and lover. From very quickly Rodin it discovers the intensity of its passion opposite to the reservation and distance dominated by Camille. Desde muy pronto Rodin descubre la intensidad de su pasión frente a la reserva y distancia dominada por Camille.

Rodin was a mature man (43 years) when it met Camille Claudel (18 years). From hacía more than twenty years he was living with Rose Beuret. As fruit of this relation they had a son. Opposite to Rose, Camille was representing the youth, the intelligence. It was beautiful, anxious and refined. And he was an artist. And this supposed a big attraction for Rodin. This admiration was translated in a violent passion. At first Camille treated the teacher with certain scorn. It was young and the sweet talk of a mature and admired man did of Camille an arrogant person. The Rodin passion came to the limit up to the point that like an in love madman I neglect its work. In 1886 it did not present any work for the Lounge (he had confessed in a letter to Camille who was in England that was ready to resign to everything safe one to her). In September, 1886 Camille, finally, seemed to yield to the desires of the teacher. They signed a curious contract that only seems to obey a prank between both. Scarcely they expired with someone in the agreements. The most significant of them was the promise of marriage that Rodin did, between other things because the teacher was falling in love with almost all its pupils and models. Como fruto de esa relación tuvieron un hijo. Frente a Rose, Camille representaba la juventud, la inteligencia. Era hermosa, inquieta y culta. Y era artista. Y esto supuso una gran atracción para Rodin. Esta admiración se tradujo en una pasión violenta. Al principio Camille trató al maestro con cierto desdén. Era joven y los halagos de un hombre maduro y admirado hicieron de Camille una persona arrogante. La pasión de Rodin llegó al límite hasta el punto que como un loco enamorado descuido su trabajo. En 1886 no presentó ninguna obra para el Salón (había confesado en una carta a Camille que se encontraba en Inglaterra que estaba dispuesto a renunciar a todo salvo a ella). En septiembre de 1886 Camille, por fin, pareció rendirse a los deseos del maestro. Firmaron un curioso contrato que solo parece obedecer a una broma entre ambos. Apenas cumplieron con alguno de los acuerdos. El más significativo de ellos fue la promesa de matrimonio que hizo Rodin, entre otras cosas porque el maestro se enamoraba de casi todas sus alumnas y modelos.

Until 1892 they lived through relatively happy years sharing love and trips. The rupture took place in the first months of 1893. But the sporadic meetings were supported until 1898. Camille drifted apart not only from Rodin but also from its family. The isolation and the incomprehension did notch in its iron will. It had the first madness sprouts. On March 3, 1913 there was dying its father, Louis-Prosper Claudel. Its father was one of few persons who him understood. One week after the death its mother signed the roles for the internment in a psychiatric one in Ville-Evrard being extracted to trails of their own house. Under the diagnosis of persecution complex and delusions of grandeur, it was shut up, without going out again, despite the favorable reports of some of the doctors who attended to him. Its brother Paul did not also move a finger for helping it. Mother and son did not gain access to that were visiting him not to that it was maintaining mail with nobody. In 1917 Rodín was dying, one more nail on its coffin. It is not known if he wanted or not to be present at its funeral but the true thing is that it did not go out of the institution. Pero los encuentros esporádicos se mantuvieron hasta 1898. Camille se distanció no solo de Rodin sino también de su familia. El aislamiento y la incomprensión hicieron mella en su férrea voluntad. Tuvo los primeros brotes de locura. El 3 de marzo de 1913 moría su padre, Louis-Prosper Claudel. Su padre fue una de las pocas personas que le comprendió. Una semana después del fallecimiento su madre firmó los papeles para el internamiento en un psiquiátrico en Ville-Evrard siendo sacada a rastras de su propia casa. Bajo el diagnóstico de manía persecutoria y delirios de grandeza, fue encerrada, no volviendo a salir jamás, pese a los informes favorables de alguno de lo médicos que le atendieron. Su hermano Paul tampoco movió un dedo por ayudarla. Madre e hijo no accedieron a que le visitaran ni a que mantuviera correspondencia con nadie. En 1917 moría Rodín, un clavo más sobre su ataúd. No se sabe si quiso o no asistir a su funeral pero lo cierto es que no salió de la institución.

On October 19, 1943, alone, in entire abandonment, forgotten by all and with most of its works destroyed by his own desperation he died in the sanatorium of Montdeverguer (they moved it there in 1914). It left writing: "I have not done everything what I have done to finish my life in a sanatorium, it was deserving something more”.

If last years of its life were tragic actors, the colophon put its burial. Not even his own brother (diplomat, playwright and poet) came to the funeral. It was buried in a grave without name, with such only an inscription: 1943 nº 392. But Camille's spirit was fluttering in the Parisian ambience. The death of Paul Claudel in 1955 raised the veto that existed in the family on Camille Cludel and its progeny wanted to give a worthy grave. They got in touch with the Montdeverguer leaders to claim the mortal remains. The institution answered that there was waste of the coffin, deposited in a small cemetery, because they needed the space for an enlargement of the hospital. Negligence, death and, sadly, disappearance. Fue enterrada en una tumba sin nombre, con tal solo una inscripción: 1943 nº 392. Pero el espíritu de Camille revoloteaba en el ambiente parisino. La muerte de Paul Claudel en 1955 levantó el veto que había en la familia sobre Camille Cludel y sus descendientes quisieron dar una sepultura digna. Se pusieron en contacto con los dirigentes de Montdeverguer para reclamar los restos mortales. La institución contestó que se había desecho del féretro, depositado en un pequeño cementerio, porque necesitaban el espacio para una ampliación del hospital. Olvido, muerte y, tristemente, desaparición.

The first Claudel creations are marked by the influence of its mentor, Rodin, although with a personal and feminine touch. But later it will be opposed frontalmente to him. Prompt Auguste Rodin is extolled and, on the contrary, Camille, she will turn out to be put into a hell that will lead him to moving back in life and plunged in not alone negligence of the proper Rodin but of its family. Auguste Rodin pronto es ensalzado y, por el contrario, Camille, se verá metida en un infierno que le llevará a retirarse en vida y sumida en el olvido no solo del propio Rodin sino de su familia.

Camille exhibited in a regular way and in 1895 it received an official order of the French state. Namely that its art was valuing independently of the collaboration that he tackled with Rodin. In spite of the love between both artists, its relation turns out to be complicated, difficult and full of ups and downs, with continuous comings and goings. A pesar del amor entre ambos artistas, su relación resulta complicada, conflictiva y llena de altibajos, con continuas idas y venidas.

L'Âge mûr or The mature age

Camille Claudel Escultura Mature Age 1 Camilla Claudel received its first big order, on the part of the French state, in 1895. To expire with him, it materialized the work: L'Âge mûr known also by The mature age.L’Âge mûr, conocida también por La edad madura.

Its relation with Rodin had already finished (the rupture took place in 1892, although they maintained sporadic meetings until 1898). It is very possible that the influence of the teacher was decisive so that the order was relapsing into Claudel well for its intersection or for mediation of another person before Fine arts.

The work mature age is inspired in its own life, in the vision that she had of its relation with Rodin.

It is an original, open work, with a line compositiva in strong diagonal marked by the look of the young woman the adult was doing and underlined by the arms of both. For the artist he supposed a technical challenge to confront the composition of three figures moving away from the concept promulgated by the Department of Fine arts. It rejects an essential part to expand its composition in horizontal. Also it leaves the relation sculpture and pedestal. In L'âge mûr the proper base fulfills a function. It makes alike to a curled wave but also it makes alike to a ship image that remains underlined by the fluttering of the cloak of the figure of the old age. This allegory has put itself traditionally as regards the Destination. Desecha un eje central para expandir su composición en horizontal. También abandona la relación escultura y pedestal. En L’âge mûr la propia base cumple una función. Asemeja a una ola encrespada pero también asemeja a un barco imagen que queda subrayada por el revoloteo del manto de la figura de la vejez. Esta alegoría se ha puesto tradicionalmente en relación con el Destino.

It is a sculptural set formed by three pieces. It alludes clearly to the affectionate triangle. On the one hand Rodin (ripeness) seems to walk, thoughtfully, with lack of appetite. It advances its body but it leaves its hand behind where there is weakened of knees Camille (youth) that it begs and tries to retain the mature man, the love of its life, the teacher, the artist, the partner. While a figure flutters on Rodin accompanying with an affectionate gesture. It is proper Rose (Old age) that seems to whisper to the ear do not worry I am with you, leave it. Por un lado Rodin (madurez) parece caminar, pensativo, con desgana. Avanza su cuerpo pero deja su mano atrás donde se encuentra postrada de rodillas Camille (juventud) que implora y trata de retener al hombre maduro, al amor de su vida, al maestro, al artista, al compañero. Mientras una figura revolotea sobre Rodin acompañando con un gesto cariñoso. Es la propia Rose (Vejez) que parece susurrarle al oído no te preocupes yo estoy contigo, déjala.

The body of the ripeness reflects the aging process. The face with wrinkles, the bald head, the muscles have lost the steadfastness, the hands accuse certain distortion for the rheumatism and the meat has lost the polish forming creases.

The old age shows of clear form the traces of the passage of time on its body: the skeleton is marked under the skin, in the hands there outcrop the symptoms of the rheumatism, the sunken eyes and a penetrating look.

The youth is the counterpoint of the two previous figures. The efforts of the artist concentrated on the face of the young woman. The way of opening the eyes, the concentration of the woman in the look, the inclination of the head, the tension in the muscles, all this is realized to accentuate the look of the young woman. It is the only meeting point with the group of the left. The artist underlines it with the language of the body, extended ahead, and the elongated arms it was doing the figure of the ripeness. La forma de abrir los ojos, la concentración de la mujer en la mirada, la inclinación de la cabeza, la tensión en los músculos, todo ello está realizado para acentuar la mirada de la joven. Es el único punto de encuentro con el grupo de la izquierda. La artista lo subraya con el lenguaje del cuerpo, extendido hacia delante, y los brazos alargados hacía la figura de la madurez.

Claudel goes further away. More than its personal history what he wanted is to reflect the human relations. He wanted to invent an expressive configuration of the idea of the Destination represented by three ages of the Man. It realizes a symbolic work. Reached the ripeness the man feels attracted by the youth to which it stretches a hand. On the one hand he does not want to leave the youth and on the other hand he does not want to disdain the love of a young woman. The old age receives in its bosom to the ripeness like a refuge opposite to the impetuous love of the youth, placed in one of the ends. You represent it they turn out to be naked. It dresses nothing to the joyful youth of its body without wrinkles. Scarcely the body of the ripeness is covered although if that it seems that the old age wraps it with its own cloak that flutters about both figures. The drapeado of this cloak serves to give the advance sensation in the march that they tackle towards the Destination, in this line of life that goes from the youth to the ripeness and in the end, the old age. Quiso inventar una configuración expresiva de la idea del Destino representada por las tres edades del Hombre. Realiza una obra simbólica. Alcanzada la madurez el hombre se siente atraído por la juventud a la que tiende una mano. Por un lado no quiere abandonar la juventud y por otro lado no quiere desdeñar el amor de una joven. La vejez acoge en su seno a la madurez como un refugio frente al amor impetuoso de la juventud, situado en uno de los extremos. La figuras aparecen desnudas. Nada viste a la juventud gozosa de su cuerpo sin arrugas. Apenas está cubierto el cuerpo de la madurez aunque si que parece que la vejez lo envuelve con su propio manto que revolotea alrededor de ambas figuras. El drapeado de ese manto sirve para dar la sensación de avance en la marcha que emprenden hacia el Destino, en esa línea de vida que va de la juventud a la madurez y al final, la vejez.

L'âge mûr was the masterpiece of Camille Claudel. It was its work. It presented it to the Lounge of 1899, not without earlier having worked for many years overturning all its knowledge and mastery in search of the professional recognition. La presentó al Salón de 1899, no sin antes haber trabajado durante muchos años volcando todo su conocimiento y maestría en busca del reconocimiento profesional.

Finally, on having seen the work, its brother Paul Claudel showed:

“My sister, imploring, humiliated of knees, is haughty, is proud, and knows what gets rid of it, in the same moment, in front of its look, its soul”.

Luis José Cuadrado Gutiérrez