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The Implorer

The Implorer is a sculpture by the French artist Camille Claudel, created in 1899 and cast in bronze in 1907. Originally linked to the sculptural group The Age of Maturity, it was later acquired by Captain Tissier. The work’s history is closely connected to Claudel’s dealings with patrons and dealers, including Eugène Blot, who helped secure permission for the bronze casting in 1907. The source text also notes Auguste Rodin’s reaction to the work, seeing in it his abandoned lover and attempting to prevent state support for the casting. Paul Claudel described the figure as his sister Camille: nude, kneeling, imploring, and humiliated.

The Implorer bronze sculpture of a kneeling nude woman with raised hands and an upward gaze.
The Implorer by Camille Claudel, shown as a bronze kneeling figure with outstretched hands.
September 2019 © · CC0
Camille Claudel\'s The Implorer, a dark bronze nude figure kneeling with arms outstretched and head tilted upward.
The Implorer by Camille Claudel, shown as a kneeling bronze figure with outstretched arms and an uplifted head.
September 2019 © · CC0
The Implorer bronze sculpture of a kneeling nude woman with her arms raised and palms open.
Camille Claudel’s The Implorer shown in bronze, with the kneeling figure’s head tilted back and arms raised in supplication.
September 2019 © · CC0
The Implorer bronze sculpture shows a kneeling nude figure with head tilted upward and both arms raised in supplication.
The Implorer, a bronze sculpture of a kneeling nude figure with uplifted arms.
August 2018 © · CC BY 2.0
The Implorer bronze sculpture of a nude woman kneeling with outstretched arms.
The Implorer, a bronze sculpture of a kneeling nude figure with arms extended forward.
August 2018 © · CC BY 2.0

Identification

TitleThe Implorer
Alternative titlesL'Implorante; La Suppliante; Le Dieu envolé

Creator

ArtistCamille Claudel

Historical context

Date of creation1892–1905
Early studiesTerracotta and plaster studies from 1892 to 1894, with a polychrome plaster study in 1895
First bronze version1894
Later bronze casts1904–1905; 1910
Presented at1894 Salon
Context of creationBegun after Camille Claudel left Auguste Rodin in 1892, as a work shaped by her sense of abandonment
Relation to related group workMain figure of L'Âge mûr; later incorporated into the group
Commission and provenanceAfter Captain Tissier acquired the work in June 1899, a bronze cast was made for him because he wanted to buy L'Âge mûr; Eugène Blot later arranged limited editions
Related group workL'Âge mûr (The Age of Maturity)

Discovery and provenance

Acquired byCaptain Tissier
Date acquired by Captain TissierJune 1899
Related dealer or patronEugène Blot
State authorization for castingEugène Blot intervened with Dujardin-Beaumetz on 3 April 1907 to authorize removal of the model from the marble depot for casting; permission was granted on 16 April 1907

Physical characteristics

Composition developmentThe figure was later lengthened and made to lean further forward
Body detailsThe curved back is emphasized, and in some versions the torso alone is shown with hands on the heart
SubjectA young nude woman kneeling or advancing on her knees, with arms stretched forward in supplication
Pose and expressionNude, kneeling, leaning forward, with a pleading gesture and an expression of pain, despair, and humiliation
Depicted figureA symbolic self-portrait of Camille Claudel
TypeSculpture; autobiographical sculpture; part of a larger group composition

Materials

MaterialsTerracotta, plaster, polychrome plaster, and bronze
Original mediumPlaster model
Bronze castingBronze versions were cast from the model

Appearance

Early title and appearanceEarly versions were shown isolated, pleading into the void

Iconography and meaning

InterpretationA female figure expressing supplication, abandonment, and Claudel's own pain after her breakup with Rodin
Related figures evokedAuguste Rodin; Rose Beuret
Related interpretationsRodin reportedly saw the work as his lover shattered by abandonment; Paul Claudel described it as his sister Camille imploring, humiliated, kneeling, and nude, embodying her soul and identity
Alternative early titleLe Dieu envolé
Self-representationClaudel represented herself in the work; some interpretations also note a young-woman body with signs of recent childbirth

Location and ownership

Examples in collectionsMetropolitan Museum of Art, Musée Camille Claudel in Nogent-sur-Seine, and Musée Rodin in Paris

History and restoration

Casting and editionsA separate cast was made in 1899 for Captain Tissier for practical and financial reasons; additional casts were made by Eugène Blot in 1904–1905 and by Lebossé in 1910

Significance

Related noteThe work is closely tied to Claudel's breakup with Rodin and to the development of L'Âge mûr