Works by Claudel will be displayed, including her iconic sculpture “The Waltz.” (photo courtesy of the Getty)

The J. Paul Getty Museum will present an exhibition from April 2- July 21 showcasing nearly 60 sculptures by one of the most daring and visionary artists of the late 19th century, Camille Claudel. The exhibition seeks to reevaluate Claudel’s work and affirm her legacy within a more complex genealogy of modernism.

A trailblazing artist working in France in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Claudel defied the social expectations of her time to create forceful sculptures of the human form. Her innovative artworks treat the universal themes of childhood, old age, love and loss with expressive intensity in various genres, materials and scales.

“A pioneer for women artists of the time, in a short but extraordinary career, Claudel established herself as one of the most important sculptors of late 19th and early 20th-century Europe,” Getty Museum Director Timothy Potts said. “Revered in France, and now widely sought after by museums around the world, her deeply moving images of the human body are one of the high points of romantic sculpture in Europe, and I am sure will be greatly admired by our visitors and especially the artist community.”

Interpretations of Claudel’s career have often centered on her dramatic personal life, which involved a complicated relationship with her mentor, Auguste Rodin, and mental health issues resulting in a 30-year confinement in a psychiatric institution. While French collectors and critics immediately recognized Claudel’s talent, her art remains little known outside of France.

Organized chronologically and thematically, the exhibition will invite visitors to experience a diverse array of sculptures Claudel created during her career and many of the masterpieces that earned her success.

“Claudel excelled at capturing the likeness of her subjects, depicting individuals at every stage of life with powerful emotion and empathy,” Getty Museum senior curator of sculpture and decorative arts Anne-Lise Desmas said. “The support and success she experienced with collectors, fellow artists, and journalists during a time when few women artists were widely regarded is testimony to her rare talent and ceaseless creativity.”

Complementing the exhibition is a catalogue co-authored by co-curators Desmas and Emerson Bowyer, with essays that explore the many facets of Claudel’s life and work, along with commentary by sculptor Kiki Smith. The Getty will host an opening day conversation at the Getty Center on April 2 at 2 p.m. with co-curators Desmas and Bowyer, and Musée Camille Claudel director Cécile Bertran.

The Getty Museum is located at 1200 Getty Center Drive. For information, visit getty.edu.