Claudel, Camille 1864-1943
French sculptor

Born in La F�re-en-Tardenois, the daughter of a wealthy civil servant, and sister of the poet Paul Claudel, she decided to become a sculptor at an early age and in 1884 was introduced to Auguste Rodin. She became his student, model and mistress, and produced skilfully executed works which, while close to his, nonetheless show great individuality and vitality, such as The Waltz (1895, Mus�e Rodin, Paris, in bronze). After a fiery relationship, Claudel and Rodin parted company in 1898, but she continued to sculpt, and briefly achieved great renown (c.1900). However, the break with Rodin affected her mental stability and from 1913 until her death she was confined to various institutions.