Found in Auguste Rodin’s studio after his death in 1917, this composition was thought to be by Rodin until a plaster version signed ‘Claudel’ was discovered in a private collection. The anguish seen on this crying face is typical of the work of Rodin and Camille Claudel in this period when the sculptors, who were also lovers, were both invested in exploring the expressive potential of the human body.

Claudel was not simply a studio assistant to Rodin. Her work inspired him and infused the studio, as a fellow assistant recalled: "Occupied solely by her work, she [Claudel] molds the clay and models the foot or hand of a figure placed in front of her . . . the young artist spreads around Rodin’s studio the benefits of her sharp mind, her quick will, her concern for order, her honest and profound sincerity."