William Nicholson (Newark-on-Trent, 1872 - 1949, Berkshire)
Sarah Bernhardt, 1897-1899
Colored woodcut, 26 x 25.2 cm (10 1/4 x 9 15/16 in.)
This simple colored woodcut depicts Sarah Bernhardt, a famous actress. She is depicted in black and grey shades against a light tan background. Her yellow hair is the only bit of color. She is seen standing with her arms outstretched on either side of her body and her head is tilted slightly to the viewer’s right. She is dressed in a long black outfit with a graceful skirt that falls to the floor. She wears a black cape with a high collar, light tan trim down the front, and it extends to her wrists. She holds a black cane in her hand to our left. Ms. Bernhardt has fair skin, small features, and her blonde curly hair is exposed beneath a pointed light grey hat. She appears to be looking directly at the viewer with a curious expression on her face. She stands in front of tannish colored curtains with an open slit to our right. This woodcut is signed in print in the lower right, ‘William Nicholson’, and in the lower center, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’.
Long Gallery
Commentary
Based on an 1897 photograph taken by Léopold-Émile Reutlinger, this colored woodcut created by William Nicholson depicts the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt posed in front of a curtain on a stage. Bernhardt was a fixture in the world of theater in the late 1800s and early 1900s and appeared in some of the earliest motion pictures.
Bernhardt and Isabella likely met in the 1870s on the European theater circuit. Correspondences between the two suggest that they shared a fond friendship, and Isabella displayed memorabilia related to the actress in the Modern Actors Case in the Long Gallery of her museum.
Bernhardt and Isabella likely met in the 1870s on the European theater circuit. Correspondences between the two suggest that they shared a fond friendship, and Isabella displayed memorabilia related to the actress in the Modern Actors Case in the Long Gallery of her museum.