Melandri (active Paris, 1860 - 1883)
Sarah Bernhardt Sculpting, 1875
Albumen print on card, 16.4 x 10.7 cm (6 7/16 x 4 3/16 in.)
This vertical albumen print on card shows the French actress and sculptor Sarah Bernhardt. In this photograph, Bernhardt, who has light skin and light curly hair, is in what looks like an art studio. She wears a light-colored top and scarf with light-colored trousers and high-heeled shoes. She is standing with her body facing to our right but her face looking directly out at us. Bernhardt leans against a raised platform with a sculpted bust of a woman facing to our right. Bernhardt’s left arm is bent with her elbow resting on the platform, and her left leg is bent with her foot resting on a block. The background is blurry with only a heap of fabric on the floor that is able to be distinguished.
Long Gallery
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.