Perseus and the Gorgon

Perseus and the Gorgon is a 1902 monumental sculpture by Camille Claudel. It represents a mythological scene which refers to the artist's own life. The work achieved a great notoriety throughout the years.

Perseus and the Gorgon, 1905
For the sculpture on the same subject by Marqueste, see Perseus and the Gorgon (Marqueste).

Description

The work portrays Perseus beheading one of the three Gorgons, Medusa. It represents the moment when the hero has just cut the monster's head. Perseus is looking through his bronze shield, which serves as a mirror, the reflection of Medusa's head in order to avoid her evil paralyzing stare. The work is signed and titled on its base. This is the only large marble sculpture created by Camille Claudel.

Background and meaning

The design of this group was thought in 1897. In 1899, the work in plaster was exhibited at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. A copy in marble was commissioned by the Countess Arthur de Maigret for her mansion on the rue de Teheran in Paris. French sculptor François Pompon participated in the carving of marble and slightly reduced its sizes. The work in marble was presented at the 1902 Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Four years were needed to end the work, because of Claudel's financial difficulties.

The work announced the end of the artist's career and, like The Mature Age, marked her break-up with the sculptor Auguste Rodin. Therefore, the sculptor gave to Medusa her own features.

Cultural value

As it currently stands, the work no longer has its bronze shield in which the Gorgon's face was reflected. It was classified as "Work of major cultural heritage interests" ("Œuvre d'Intérêt Patrimonial Majeur")[1] and was bought in 2008 by the Musée Camille Claudel, then known as the Musée Paul Dubois-Alfred Boucher, in Nogent-sur-Seine.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Persée et la Gorgone de Camille Claudel — Une Œuvre d'intérêt Patrimonial Majeur pour le Musée de Nogent-sur-Seine" (in French). Culture Gouv. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  2. "Persée et la Gorgone, marbre de Camille Claudel, un " trésor national " à Nogent-sur-Seine" (in French). Aube Champagne. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
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