Portrait of Rodin

In the early 1880s, Camille Claudel’s sculpture took a naturalistic turn which is also apparent in this bust of Rodin, modeled between 1886 and 1888. Every little muscle is detailed in the sculptor’s deeply lined face, with its strong nose and forehead. Camille Claudel took Rodin for her model several times, depicting him in drawings and in a painted portrait that is now lost.

The bust of Rodin was first exhibited in 1892 at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, where it garnered immediate attention and praise from the critics; according to author Edmond Pilon, writing in 1900 for the art journal Iris, Claudel’s work captured “the calm, profound face of genius.” From then on, the bust became a sort of symbol―an official portrait of the artist, featured in major Rodin exhibitions worldwide, from Chicago to Amsterdam, from Prague to New York.

There are few known portraits of Rodin. Alongside the work sculpted by Jules Desbois, this bust is indisputably the portrait of the master that has had the greatest impact.

The artwork in the museum

Permanent collections - First floor, room 16

We cannot guarantee the presence of all our artworks; some may be out on loan.