Often known as Auguste Rodin’s muse and mistress, Camille Claudel was also an artist. After her affair with Rodin- she destroyed a fair amount of her work. What was left was inherited by her great niece Reine Marie Paris and her partner Philippe Cressent. Together they sold the collection to the city of Nogent-sur-Seine to preserve her memory in Claudel’s former family home.

The museum is to offer a broader sense of Claudel, her mediums and her talent. A small collection of her works can be found in the Musee Rodin in Paris. The Musee Camille Claudel began preparations in 2008, and now consists of 43 core pieces including drawings, plaster casts and mixed-media sculptures.

The Musee Camille Claudel brings a needed highlight to the artist and her dedication to her craft. With more the 150 works by other sculptors from the period, the comparative displays put  Claudel and Rodin on the same playing field. “We will show the differences and links between the two artists’ work, thus revealing how they inspired each other,” says the museum director Cecile Bertran.

The Musee Camille Claudel opened on March 26th.