BERNHARDT, Sarah
Location:
Present Whereabouts Unknown.
Bibliography:
Der Bund, Berne, Switzerland, February 8/9, 1892
La Revue, Lausanne, Switzerland, February 9, 1892
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Switzerland, February 10, 1892
La Riforma, Bellinzona, Switzerland, February 13, 1892
La Revue, Lausanne, Switzerland, May 20, 1892
Sarah Bernhardt (1845 – 1923) was of course the great French Tragic Actress.
The Bibliography suggests that a portrait of this subject was painted about the end of 1891 or early 1892 when in New York with her son Maurice. The sitter was a close friend of Roland Knoedler, the art dealer, and in fact a letter from him (artist’s papers), sent from his gallery at 170, Fifth Avenue, New York, dated February 26, 1891, would seem to confirm these references to a sitting by Bernhardt for her portrait:
‘My dear Muller,
Madame Sarah could not possibly go up to see you to-day: she was here just now and has asked me to call for her to-morrow at 1.30 when she promises to go up.
Sincerely in haste, R. F. Knoedler.’
