Letter from Auguste Rodin to Camille Claudel

“My ferocious friend”

In the early days of their relationship, Rodin appears to have been captivated by the pupil who soon become his collaborator, mistress and muse.

This unique document reveals a Rodin who, overwhelmed by his feelings, makes no secret of the intensity of his passion for Camille. Written in an unpolished style with erroneous syntax and faulty spelling, it is one long, anguished plea, “on bended knees,” for the affection of the mistress he loves obsessively.

The few documents in the museum’s archives―five letters from Rodin and about fifteen from Camille Claudel, often impassioned in tone―afford an insight into this intense and troubled relationship whose tragic ending is well known.

Sculptures such as Eternal Springtime, Fugit Amor and Man and his Thought suggest the elation and passion of their love affair.