Sarah BERNHARDT (1844-1923) Portrait of Émile Girardin (1802-1881) Petite nature bust, terracotta proof. Signed Sarah Benhardt below the left shoulder. Titled E. de Girardin on the front. Trace of inscription on back. H. 20 cm Base in blackened wood adorned with a gilded bronze feather H. 12 cm Related work: Sarah Bernhardt, Émile de Girardin, 1878, terracotta bust, H. 19.5 W. ?15 D. 12 cm, Paris, Musée d'Orsay, inv. RF 4308. Sarah Bernhardt, a brilliant actress and member of the Académie Française, triumphed on the French, London and American stages. An accomplished artist, she learned modeling and painting, and attended the Académie Julian. A terracotta bust of the journalist Émile Girardin is currently housed at the Musée d'Orsay.

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