Self-Portrait as a Chimera

Creator Name

Sarah Bernhardt (French, 1844–1923);
Sarah Bernhardt

Cultural Context

Date

c. 1880

Source

Art Institute of Chicago

About the work

Art Institute of Chicago Object Description

French actor and artist Sarah Bernhardt was perhaps the first global superstar, with legions of admirers spread across Britain, continental Europe, North and South America, and as far afield as Australia. In this fantastical bronze inkwell, she portrayed herself as a chimera, a mythological creature composed of disparate body parts. Here, Bernhardt joined her human torso and head to clawed haunches, bat wings, and a dragon-like tail. The work is a key example of her inspired use of visual media to fashion and promote her own image.

Work details

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Title

Self-Portrait as a Chimera

Creator

Sarah Bernhardt (French, 1844–1923);
Sarah Bernhardt

Worktype

Sculpture; sculpture; bronze; france; french; portrait

Cultural Context

Material

Bronze; bronze

Dimensions

31.8 × 34.9 × 31.8 cm (12 1/2 × 13 3/4 × 12 1/2 in.)

Technique

casting (process); sculpture techniques

Language

Date

c. 1880

Provenance

Purchased with funds provided by Constance T. and Donald W. Patterson and Pamela Kelley Hull; Private collection, France, by 2012; sold Piasa Auction, Paris, June 29, 2012, lot 242, to Robert Zehil Gallery, Monaco; private collection, New York, NY, by 2015; consigned to Colnaghi, Ltd, London, 2020; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2020.

Style Period

19th century; Symbolism

Rights

Public Domain

Inscription

Location

Paris

Source

Art Institute of Chicago

Subjects

sculpture; mythical; women; woman; self-portraits

Topic