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拍品专文
Executed in 1895, this delicate marble portrait by Claudel depicts the smooth slender face of a young Marguerite Boyer, the six-year old granddaughter of the proprietors of the Château de l’Islette in the Touraine region of France. This sixteenth-century castle on the banks of the river Indre had become a refuge for Claudel and her lover Rodin during the final years of their passionate love affair, with the couple staying in the Château during several of their sojourns to the region as Rodin was researching his monument to Balzac. Following the disintegration of their relationship, Claudel continued to frequent the Château de l’Islette alone and it was during one such solo-trip to the castle, in the summer of 1892, that the artist undertook her studies of Marguerite. This summer marked the beginning of a period of intense creativity for Claudel, as she began to experiment with new styles, techniques and subject matter in an effort to move away from Rodin’s influence and forge her own distinct identity as a sculptor. Claudel’s studies of Marguerite would prove integral to the subsequent development of her art, and the series of unique busts she created of the little girl over the course of the following five years chart the artist’s changing approach to sculpture during this time.
A family newsletter from the period reveals that Marguerite sat for 62 separate sessions with Claudel, and was rewarded for her patience with the gift of a new doll from the artist. In each of the resulting portraits subtle variations in her expression and hairstyle are evident, perhaps reflecting a particular moment in the time the artist spent studying the youngster. In the present sculpture, Marguerite’s hair is loosely braided in a slender manner that curves along her back, while her mouth remains closed, her lips pursed together in a more solemn expression than other examples from the series. In this choice of expression Claudel eschews the traditional depiction of the child as innocent and joyful, and instead focuses on capturing a sense of the inherent seriousness she observed in the young girl. Alongside this, Marguerite’s gaze radiates inquisitiveness, suggesting that she in turn is observing Claudel, carefully following each of the sculptor’s movements and gestures as she works to capture her likeness. The intensity of the child’s demeanour is accentuated by the large eyes which dominate her petite face, while the motionless, studied pose at the heart of the bust fully conveys the little girl’s concentration as she attempts to hold herself completely still for Claudel.
A family newsletter from the period reveals that Marguerite sat for 62 separate sessions with Claudel, and was rewarded for her patience with the gift of a new doll from the artist. In each of the resulting portraits subtle variations in her expression and hairstyle are evident, perhaps reflecting a particular moment in the time the artist spent studying the youngster. In the present sculpture, Marguerite’s hair is loosely braided in a slender manner that curves along her back, while her mouth remains closed, her lips pursed together in a more solemn expression than other examples from the series. In this choice of expression Claudel eschews the traditional depiction of the child as innocent and joyful, and instead focuses on capturing a sense of the inherent seriousness she observed in the young girl. Alongside this, Marguerite’s gaze radiates inquisitiveness, suggesting that she in turn is observing Claudel, carefully following each of the sculptor’s movements and gestures as she works to capture her likeness. The intensity of the child’s demeanour is accentuated by the large eyes which dominate her petite face, while the motionless, studied pose at the heart of the bust fully conveys the little girl’s concentration as she attempts to hold herself completely still for Claudel.