-Selections of the author’s bedroom collection-
1892 Wood Engraving. Guayaquil, Ecuador
Edward Whymper’s room
Le génie du mal [The genius of evil, aka; Lucifer]; Guillaume Geefs
“The statue was originally a commission for Geefs’ younger brother Joseph, who completed it in 1842 and installed it the following year. It generated controversy at once and was criticized for not representing a Christian ideal.The cathedral administration declared that “this devil is too sublime.” The local press intimated that the work was distracting the “pretty penitent girls” who should have been listening to the sermons.” [x]
[The original ‘sublime’ version shown below, and the ‘revised’ one in the photoset above]
> Make sculpture of the devil
> No this sculpture is too hot for church
> Make another one
> It’s even hotter
Seriously. I would get distracted if I was trying to listen to a sermon and this guy was in the corner of my vision. Swoon.
Camille Claudel (1864-1943) “was one of the rare female artists of the 19th century that could and did compete with the best male sculptors of her time.”
In 1883, Camille became acquainted with Auguste Rodin when he took over instruction of her class at the Académie Colarossi. Soon after Camille became his model, assistant and lover. “No other woman had such an intellectual, artistic and erotic impact on Rodin’s life like Camille Claudel.”
In 1892, after an abortion, Claudel ended the intimate aspect of her relationship with Rodin, although they saw each other regularly until 1898.
After 1905 Claudel appeared to be mentally ill. She destroyed many of her statues and was diagnosed as having schizophrenia. She accused Rodin of stealing her ideas and of leading a conspiracy to kill her. In 1913 after her father died her brother had her committed to a mental hospital. Over the years the hospital requested numerous times Claudel be sent home but her family refused. She remained institutionalized until her death in 1943. src1 & scr2
