The Waltz or The Waltzers

The impassioned young sculptress Camille Claudel (1864–1943) started out as Rodin’s pupil in 1884, before becoming his mistress; until the end of their relationship in 1898, she and Rodin shared their exploration of sculpture. Her life has often been reduced to this stormy relationship, but she created a highly personal body of work marked by her interest in movement and her great sensitivity.

Camille Claudel presented The Waltz at the 1893 Salon National des Beaux-Arts. The sculpture depicts a dancing couple, spinning together on a diagonal axis in a close embrace; the sense of movement is accentuated by the drapery that starts at the female figure’s hips and billows out to one side. The male dancer’s left foot is raised in the same direction and this, together with the low rectangular base, leaves the figures on the verge of imbalance. The powerful musculature of the male figure and the firm flesh of his partner convey an impression of such passionate sensuality that The Waltz was criticized by the authorities for its ‘violent sense of reality’ and considered unsuitable for display in a gallery open to the public.

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.