Jewish Museum presents first U.S. exhibition on actress Sarah Bernhardt's dramatic legacy
"Sarah Bernhardt: The Art of High Drama," the inaugural American exhibition honoring the renowned French actress, is now on display at the Jewish Museum in New York. Curators Carol Ockman and Kenneth Silver showcase Bernhardt's significant influence on various art forms throughout her career in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During her U.S. tour from 1905 to 1906, she performed in 156 cities, challenging the authority of Theatrical Syndicate. Bernhardt's legacy includes her contributions to early cinema, featuring in silent films and recording her voice with Thomas Edison in 1880. The exhibition includes works such as Alphonse Mucha's posters, a portrait by Dudley Hardy, Toulouse-Lautrec lithographs, and original prints by Felix and Paul Nadar, while also delving into her Jewish heritage and impact on notable figures like Freud and Proust.
Key facts
- The Jewish Museum presented "Sarah Bernhardt: The Art of High Drama," the first U.S. exhibition on the actress
- Curators Carol Ockman and Kenneth Silver organized the show
- Bernhardt's 1905-06 American tour covered 156 cities in alternative venues like circus tents
- She performed in early silent films including Hamlet and Camille scenes
- Bernhardt visited Thomas Edison in 1880 to record her voice on his phonograph
- The exhibition featured Alphonse Mucha's Art Nouveau posters, works by Toulouse-Lautrec, and photographs by Felix and Paul Nadar
- Bernhardt created her own sculptures and paintings, including Symbolist works like Fantastical Inkwell (Self-Portrait as a Sphinx) from 1880
- Her celebrity attracted admirers including Sigmund Freud, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Marcel Proust
Entities
Artists
- Sarah Bernhardt
- Alphonse Mucha
- Dudley Hardy
- Toulouse-Lautrec
- William Nicholson
- Felix Nadar
- Paul Nadar
- Louise Abbéma
- André Gill
- Marilyn Monroe
- Nicole Kidman
- Baz Luhrmann
- Julie Garland
- Greta Garbo
- Victorien Sardou
- Edmond Rostand
- Jules Barbier
- Alexander Dumas fils
- Sigmund Freud
- Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Marcel Proust
- Jean-Martin Charcot
- Anton Chekhov
- George Bernard Shaw
- Eleonora Duse
- Thomas Edison
- Carol Ockman
- Kenneth Silver
Institutions
- Jewish Museum
- Bibliothèque Nationale
- Comédie Française
- Conservatoire
- Theatrical Syndicate
- Shubert brothers
- Hearst Greek Theatre
- New York Sun
- artcritical
Locations
- Paris
- France
- New York
- United States
- Madeleine
- Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt
- Père-Lachaise
- Dutch
- Czech