I have been on a Sherlock Holmes binge lately, so I took my paperbook with me to the exhibit as I went to see the Camille Claudel Exhibit at the Musée Rodin. If you don't know the tragic history of Camille, it's a story worth reading or seeing on film.
The first time I tried to go, the wait was over 3 hours for folks without reservations. I headed home walking along what I refer to as Diplomat's Alley (Rue de Varenne) where there are a ton of government buildings safely ensconced behind towering concrete walls with military guarding the openings that provide glimpses to the beautiful courtyards inside. On this particular day, the Mid Eastern Leaders Summit was happening in Paris and there were limousines lined up at nearly every opening and lots of beautifully dressed women and very sharply dressed men were either getting in or getting out of these cars.
I made the reservation over the internet and hung my ticket on the bulletin board reserved for upcoming events.
The weather was crisp, and only warm in the sunshine. Those awaiting entrance into the exhibit were waiting under a tent, and since I had to wait for over an hour, I found a bench in front of Rodin's three brothers and settled in to read a little of Arthur Conan Doyle's work. Do you know who Irene Adler is? Well that's a good one to search out.
The first time I tried to go, the wait was over 3 hours for folks without reservations. I headed home walking along what I refer to as Diplomat's Alley (Rue de Varenne) where there are a ton of government buildings safely ensconced behind towering concrete walls with military guarding the openings that provide glimpses to the beautiful courtyards inside. On this particular day, the Mid Eastern Leaders Summit was happening in Paris and there were limousines lined up at nearly every opening and lots of beautifully dressed women and very sharply dressed men were either getting in or getting out of these cars.
I made the reservation over the internet and hung my ticket on the bulletin board reserved for upcoming events.
The weather was crisp, and only warm in the sunshine. Those awaiting entrance into the exhibit were waiting under a tent, and since I had to wait for over an hour, I found a bench in front of Rodin's three brothers and settled in to read a little of Arthur Conan Doyle's work. Do you know who Irene Adler is? Well that's a good one to search out.
When I finally was permitted to see the works of Camille Claudel, of course one couldn't take photos, but the sculpture is so emotion-provoking. Her depiction of old age or of losing Rodin to Rose (his chief cook and bottle washer, as well as the mother of his children) is so powerful in it's autobiographical power that really nothing more can be said of it. She also captures all the catty-ness of the gossiping women in her small sculpture of women with their heads bent deep in conversation. The one that I interpret much differently from the "experts" is the one where the young girls are playing in the wave. To me, this is a representation of the potential overwhelming nature of life, despite the naivetté with which one enters it, and the in the face of the youthful exploration for fun. I think she experienced life like that, though maybe she didn't look often for fun, but she was so overwhelmed with her passion for art and for Auguste Rodin, she didn't see the world outside who was going to wipe her out with a tidal wave of restrictions and expectations that she could never meet. If you ever get the chance to see her works - do. I think my favorite is the emaciated old woman - who looks frail and decrepit, but who is after all standing there in bronze with a backbone of steel.
She died in a psychiatric hospital, after destroying many of her works, placed there by her family who said she was paranoid. Ironically, it was about Rodin that she was said to have made up allegations, and he continued to pay for some of her hospital care and to provide a place for the protection of her remaining works, though out of guilt, or love, one will never know.
