The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 20, 2025
Sarah Bernhardt Reclining on a Divan, Reading
c. 1885–1890
Location: Not on view
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.- G. Clairin (estate stamp [Lugt 448], lower left, in purple ink); Shepherd Gallery, New York, April 1977. Muriel Butkin estate
- Mary Cassatt and the Feminine Ideal in 19th-Century Paris. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (October 14, 2012-January 20, 2013).New York: Shepherd Gallery (November 1977-February 1978): "French Nineteenth Century Drawings-Pastels-Watercolors," cat. no. 15, repr.
- {{cite web|title=Sarah Bernhardt Reclining on a Divan, Reading|url=false|author=Georges-Jules-Victor Clairin|year=c. 1885–1890|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2009.118