Camille Claudel was mentored by Alfred Boucher before she began her complex, decade-long professional and personal relationship with Auguste Rodin.
The museum building incorporates the 19th-century house where Camille Claudel lived with her family between 1879 and 1881.
Many of the exhibited sculptures were acquired by the museum through state purchases and donations from the Claudel-Lambiotte family.
The collection includes the original plaster model for 'The Waltz,' one of Claudel's most famous and debated works.
The Nogent-sur-Seine school of sculpture, which the museum documents, was a significant hub for European art in the late 19th century.
The museum's permanent collection is displayed chronologically to illustrate the evolution of Claudel’s style from academic realism to expressive movement.
The Musée Camille Claudel is the world's first museum dedicated to the sculptor Camille Claudel, housed in a contemporary building integrated with the historic architecture of Nogent-sur-Seine. It holds the largest collection of her works globally, featuring over 40 of her sculptures. The collection spans her early years in Nogent-sur-Seine to her later Parisian career. The museum also displays works by contemporaries such as Alfred Boucher, Auguste Rodin, and Paul Dubois. The architecture was designed to prioritize natural light to highlight the nuances of the sculptural materials. It serves as both a repository of Claudel's legacy and a study of the regional artistic movement of the late 19th century. The museum is located in the region where the artist spent her formative teenage years.
The main staircase area, which utilizes large windows to frame the contrast between modern glass architecture and the surrounding historic structures.
Visit the audiovisual room to view documentaries on Claudel’s life before exploring the galleries.
Request an audio guide to better understand the technical differences between the plaster, terracotta, and bronze casts on display.
Do not rush through the early 'regional' galleries; these provide the necessary context to understand the artist's departure from traditional styles.
Closed on Mondays and certain public holidays.
