Description
Perhaps the most famous actress in the history of the theater, Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was one of the most magnetic personalities of her time and was known by her adoring fans as "the Divine Sarah." Jules Clairin was the favored portraitist of the actress, and depicted her in various roles in more than 100 paintings. In this intimate drawing, the international idol is depicted off stage, probably in her exotically decorated Parisian atelier that overflowed with lush palms, patterned carpets, fringed throws, and Asian bibelots. Quiet in her reverie, the reclining Bernhardt is supported by a tiger skin, the drama of her life momentarily voiced by the roaring animal.
Provenance
G. Clairin (estate stamp [Lugt 448], lower left, in purple ink); Shepherd Gallery, New York, April 1977. Muriel Butkin estate
Accession Number
2009.118
Medium
Graphite with lead white heightening
Dimensions
Sheet: 24.3 x 38.8 cm (9 9/16 x 15 1/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Credit Line
Bequest of Muriel Butkin
Tags
Drawing Impressionist & Modern (1851–1900) Graphite & Pencil French
Background & Context
Background Story
Georges-Jules-Victor Clairin (1843-1919) was a French painter known for the elegantly composed, precisely observed portraits that make him one of the accomplished portrait painters of the French Belle Epoque. Sarah Bernhardt Reclining on a Divan, Reading from c. 1885-90 depicts Sarah Bernhardt—the most famous actress of the 19th century—reclining on a divan reading in the elegantly composed, precisely observed manner that distinguishes Clairin's best portraiture. Clairin was known for his portraits of Sarah Bernhardt, and his elegantly composed depictions of the great actress represent one of the most accomplished traditions in Belle Epoque portrait painting.
Cultural Impact
Sarah Bernhardt Reclining on a Divan, Reading is important in the history of French portrait painting because it depicts Sarah Bernhardt—the most famous actress of the 19th century—in the elegantly composed, precisely observed manner that Clairin brought to portraiture as one of the accomplished portrait painters of the Belle Epoque. Clairin's portraits of Sarah Bernhardt—representing the most famous actress of the 19th century in the most elegantly composed manner—were among the most accomplished portraits of the Belle Epoque, and the c. 1885-90 painting shows this tradition at its most elegantly composed.
Why It Matters
Sarah Bernhardt Reclining on a Divan is Clairin's elegantly composed Belle Epoque portrait: the most famous actress of the 19th century depicted in the precisely observed manner of one of the accomplished portrait painters of the French Belle Epoque. The c. 1885-90 painting shows the most famous actress of the age at her most elegantly composed.
