Claudel, Camille (1864-1943)
Les Causeuses ou Les Bavardes (The Bavardes or the Loveseats)
1893
Bronze et marbre ou albâtre teinté, 32 x 34 x 24 cm
Musée Camille Claudel, Nogent-sur-Seine
The Gossips, or The Chatterboxes, or The Confidence, depicts a group of four women engrossed in a secret. One of them, facing the viewer, recounts it while the other three listen intently, not wanting to miss a word. The scene is enclosed by a screen, reminiscent of a corner of a wall, lending a theatrical quality to the sculpture.
The overall dimensions are quite small, but this is indeed the final size intended by the artist. Despite its diminutive size, the group is remarkably expressive, and Camille Claudel manages to animate the bodies, which lean forward, arch their backs, and press close to one another, drawn to the woman who holds the secret. She raises her hand to her mouth, as if to direct the whisper of her confidence toward the eager faces of her companions.
This work is part of the Sketches from Nature, a series of small sculptures depicting scenes of everyday life, conceived by Camille Claudel in the late 19th century. The inspiration for The Gossips is said to have come from a group of women the artist observed in a railway carriage and modeled from memory upon returning to her studio. But by representing the women nude and stripping away the background, she moves beyond the anecdotal to create a universal and timeless scene. This approach is highly unusual and demonstrates a decidedly modern conception of sculpture. With the Sketches from Nature, Camille Claudel aimed to prove to critics that she had broken free from the influence of her former teacher, Auguste Rodin. (MCC)