Camille Claudel’s genius as a sculptor is irrefutable. Her skill surpassed that of her teacher, Auguste Rodin; however, due to her gender and the era in which she lived, she was denied the self-agency necessary to author her own story. Rodin claimed numerous sculptural elements as his own, essentially blocking her from securing a major sculptural commission for the city of Paris that could have altered her trajectory.

In 2019, Claudel’s family entrusted Tonya Turner Carroll and Michael Carroll with the stewardship of one of her most exceptional works: her autobiographical grand modele L’Implorante. This masterpiece, previously within the family’s exclusive possession, is now on display for the international art world to appreciate. Turner Carroll advocated for the relocation of L’Implorante from the Louvre to the United States. This move aimed to amplify the impact of its pathos, asserting Claudel’s rightful place in the pantheon of art history.

Turner Carroll’s reputation for supporting female artists and artists previously marginalized is widely known. Being able to shepherd Claudel’s most significant work available on the international art market to become a centerpiece of her major retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago, which travels to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles after that, is an art history dream come true for Turner Carroll. Please contact us at tonya@turnercarrollgallery.com or mc@turnercarrollgallery.com to speak about Camille Claudel or her works.