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Lot Essay
Conceived circa 1893, Claudel’s delicate interpretation of L’Aurore presents a youthful face gazing upward, her thick, flowing hair encircling her bust as if she were emerging from it. The original plaster belonged to Norwegian painter Fritz Thaulow, a devoted admirer of Claudel’s work. After Thaulow’s estate sale in May 1907, the piece was acquired by art dealer Eugène Blot, who, captivated by its tender expression and upward gaze, commissioned a bronze edition for his gallery. The present example, cast in 1908, is the last known in the edition—the first belongs to the Musée Camille Claudel in Nogent-sur-Seine.
L’Aurore occupies a pivotal place in Claudel’s oeuvre, conceived during a transformative period when she was forging her own artistic identity. Though a sculptor of remarkable technical skill, Claudel's early development was deeply shaped by her mentor—and later, lover—Auguste Rodin, whom she met in the early 1880s. For over a decade, they worked closely together, with Claudel becoming a vital presence in Rodin’s studio and a brilliant sculptor in her own right. Their collaboration evolved into a passionate yet volatile relationship, which began to unravel around 1890 when Rodin refused to leave his long-time partner, Rose Beuret. The emotional fallout led Claudel to withdraw from exhibiting for two years.
The inspiration for L’Aurore is believed to have been Marguerite Boyer, the six-year-old granddaughter of the owners of the Château de l’Islette in Touraine, a frequent retreat for Claudel and Rodin in the final years of their relationship. After their separation, Claudel continued to visit the château, and in the summer of 1892 began her renowned studies of Marguerite. That summer marked a period of renewed creative energy, as Claudel experimented with new forms, styles, and subject matter in a deliberate move away from Rodin’s influence. Her evolving studies of Marguerite over the next five years trace her artistic transition and maturation.
In L’Aurore, Claudel personifies dawn as a young woman gently awakening. Her upward gaze and the fluid motion of her hair evoke the serenity and promise of morning light. A symbol often linked with hope, renewal, and new beginnings, L’Aurore captures not only the spirit of the day’s first light but also the pivotal artistic transformation Claudel herself was undergoing.
L’Aurore occupies a pivotal place in Claudel’s oeuvre, conceived during a transformative period when she was forging her own artistic identity. Though a sculptor of remarkable technical skill, Claudel's early development was deeply shaped by her mentor—and later, lover—Auguste Rodin, whom she met in the early 1880s. For over a decade, they worked closely together, with Claudel becoming a vital presence in Rodin’s studio and a brilliant sculptor in her own right. Their collaboration evolved into a passionate yet volatile relationship, which began to unravel around 1890 when Rodin refused to leave his long-time partner, Rose Beuret. The emotional fallout led Claudel to withdraw from exhibiting for two years.
The inspiration for L’Aurore is believed to have been Marguerite Boyer, the six-year-old granddaughter of the owners of the Château de l’Islette in Touraine, a frequent retreat for Claudel and Rodin in the final years of their relationship. After their separation, Claudel continued to visit the château, and in the summer of 1892 began her renowned studies of Marguerite. That summer marked a period of renewed creative energy, as Claudel experimented with new forms, styles, and subject matter in a deliberate move away from Rodin’s influence. Her evolving studies of Marguerite over the next five years trace her artistic transition and maturation.
In L’Aurore, Claudel personifies dawn as a young woman gently awakening. Her upward gaze and the fluid motion of her hair evoke the serenity and promise of morning light. A symbol often linked with hope, renewal, and new beginnings, L’Aurore captures not only the spirit of the day’s first light but also the pivotal artistic transformation Claudel herself was undergoing.