Hand-painted jewelry box with a portrait of Sarah Bernhardt

Must Know

Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was an actress, born in Paris, as an illegitimate child. her Dutch mother of Jewish descent put her in a convent, where Sarah was baptized, still she had always been proud of her Jewish origin. She began her career in the 1860s. her first success came with the play “King Lear”, in which she played the role of Cordelia, and later in the plays of Victor Hugo, who called her the “golden voice”. In 1880, she founded her own theater, ‘Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt’, and went on a tour to most of the European countries and later to America. In 1899, she staged the French version of Hamlet, in which she played the lead role, and in 1900, she appeared in a short film “Hamlet” (2 minutes), which was the first cinematic adaptation of the play. At the age of 62, she fell off the stage, and due to the injury, she lost her right leg. This fact did not prevent her from continuing acting, often in plays written especially for her and in which she remained seated during the play. Until today, her name precedes her, as she was considered in her time as the world-famous actress, the first international star”, “the diva”, “the face of the European theater”. She was called “the divine”, “the empress of the theater”. her figure is painted on posters, mainly by the Czech artist MUCHA, in art-deco style, and on souvenirs/advertisement products, such as the exhibited box. Bernhardt died in Paris because of a kidney disease and was buried in the Pére Lachaise Cemetery.