Camille Claudel Sculpture Found in Abandoned Apartment Sells for Over €3.6 Million at Auction

A bronze sculpture by Camille Claudel, 'L'Âge mûr' ('The Mature Age'), unseen for over a century, fetched over €3.6 million at auction in Orléans, France. The sculpture, discovered in an abandoned apartment near the Eiffel Tower last year, far exceeded its pre-sale estimate of €1.5 to €2 million. The work, created in the late 19th century following Claudel's painful separation from Auguste Rodin, depicts the stages of life. It was last exhibited in 1907-1908. The auction house Philocale reported that the sale marked the second-highest price ever achieved for a work by Claudel. The rediscovery occurred during an inheritance inventory, revealing the sculpture hidden under a cloth. The intense bidding war lasted only 20 minutes, ultimately securing a new owner for this significant piece of art history.