Rare Camille Claudel Sculpture Sells for €3.1 Million at Auction

A long-lost bronze casting of 'L’Âge mûr' was discovered in a deserted Paris apartment and exceeded its estimated value at an Orléans auction.

A bronze sculpture by Camille Claudel, 'L’Âge mûr,' was auctioned for €3.1 million, significantly surpassing its estimated value of €1.5–2 million.
The artwork was found in a long-abandoned apartment near the Eiffel Tower, where it had been covered with a bedsheet for protection against dust.
This casting is the fourth known version of 'L’Âge mûr,' with the other three housed in prominent museums such as the Musée d’Orsay and the Camille Claudel Museum.
Created in 1899, the sculpture allegorically represents Claudel's tumultuous relationship with her mentor and lover Auguste Rodin, who remained with his partner Rose Beuret.
Claudel, a celebrated yet tragic figure in art history, destroyed much of her own work before being institutionalized in 1913, where she remained until her death in 1943.