Fedora (Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt)

Alfred Stevens was a highly accomplished artist and had an illustrious career that was heavily patronised, notably the Belgian Royal Family. Following his Paris Salon debut in 1853 Stevens became a familiar figure in the elite society of the Second Empire. He surrounded himself with influential characters such as Princess Mathilde and Jérome Bonaparte, Napoleon's youngest brother. It was the splendour of this period that became very powerful in shaping the artist’s style, which was infused into his paintings, even after the fall of the Second Empire. The present lot, Fedora, was painted in the 1880s, at a time when Stevens established international renown, piquing the interest of collectors and tastemakers in Europe and America, such as the dealer Georges Petit. By 1900, Stevens was honoured by the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris with the first retrospective exhibition ever given to a living artist.
Stevens is probably most well-known for pioneering the image of the modern 19^th-century woman, through the use of contemporary dress and subject matter. Indeed, Théophile Gautier described his portraits as 'poems of the women of the world'. There is a poetic quality to these images, which is largely due to the careful inclusion of symbolism in the works and the academic purposefulness of the compositions.
With this in mind, perhaps it is unsurprising that Sarah Bernhardt became such a frequent sitter for Stevens, who painted the actress at least five times. The best known of these pictures being the present lot, Fedora of 1882. Indeed, who better to typify the contemporary image than Sarah Bernhardt, who was the most modern of modern women? In 1886 Stevens wrote that, 'A man is not a modernist because he paints modern costumes. The artist in love with modernity should, first of all, be impregnated with modern sensations' (A. Stevens, Impressions sur la peintre, 1886, p. 34) This shows the self-awareness with which the artist was consciously creating images of the modern world. Thus we can see what makes these images so powerful. It is not just the inclusion of clothing and aesthetics, it is the wonder and intrigue with which Stevens paints these women. He creates them as larger than life, as autonomous and powerful, imbuing the images simultaneously with a traditional feeling of grandeur but also a feeling of change; society on the cusp of a new era.
Sarah Bernhardt is often referred to as the world’s first celebrity. The French actress and her vivacious personality captured the interests of people regardless of background. She was praised for her acting, her singing and her idiosyncratic character; indeed she was rumoured to tour with an alligator called Ali-Gaga who drank champagne, and a coffin that she was said to sleep in. In 1882, Fedora, a play by Victorien Sardou opened in the Theâtre du Vaudeville in Paris, with Bernhardt starring in the title role which was written for her. The play was critically acclaimed and has sustained an unusual legacy. In the play Bernhardt daringly wore a man’s hat, which was made of felt and wide-brimmed. So influential was the actress that to this day the hat is known as a ‘fedora’, immortalising the play and Bernhardt’s audacious personality. Though the present lot is probably the most well-known portrait of the actress, Sarah Bernhardt was also painted by other prominent artists of the day, including Hans Makart (1881), Julien Bastien-Lepage (1879), and Louise Abbema (1875). A similar portrait by Jules Bastien-Lepage was sold as part of The Ann & Gordon Getty Collection, Christie's, New York, 20 October 2022, lot 55, for a world auction record of $2,280,000.
Bernhardt and Stevens had a close relationship, and this familiarity and intimacy can be felt in the painting as Bernhardt looks directly out at the viewer, whilst coquettishly tilting her head. This relationship stemmed from Stevens providing artistic tuition to Bernhardt. In the 1880s, the artist wanted to give back to the artistic community and secure his own legacy, which he did through teaching in a studio near his own. Bernhardt credited Stevens as her teacher, when she exhibited in the 1880 Salon. It has often been assumed that the relationship between the actress and the artist was more complex than merely an artistic education. The letters between the pair, which are now in the possession of the painter’s grandson’s widow, would certainly suggest that they were lovers.
A striking feature of the present lot are the variety of contrasting textures that the artist conveys throughout the canvas, from the translucent diaphanous textures of the dress to the foliage in the foreground and the satin texture of the Japanese fan. Stevens was a master of colour; his subtle palettes are contrasted with hints of bold, bright hues. In this work, the vibrant blues of the flowers are cleverly included so as to bring out the striking colour of Bernhardt’s eyes.
In its use of colour, as well as the composition, the present lot is also evocative of James McNeill Whistler’s, Symphony in White, No. 2 (1864, Tate, London). Whistler’s work similarly portrays a woman, Joanna Hiffernan, in a white dress holding a Japanese fan. Whistler’s acclaimed work also includes some vibrant spots of colour in the petals of the flowers, which are reminiscent of the foliage in Fedora. There are many similarities between the works but what sets them apart is the presentation of the sitter. Hiffernan appears withdrawn and contemplative and is the subject of the viewer’s gaze, a treasure to behold, like the vase on the mantlepiece. In contrast, Stevens presents Bernhardt in all her glory, as a sparkling and enigmatic character. Though Stevens portrays her in character as Fedora, we can see the charisma of Bernhardt permeating the canvas. Stevens certainly admired Whistler, and yet the present lot has a commanding quality that feels distinctly unique.
This work by Stevens has been exhibited extensively since it was painted in 1882, featuring notably in the Exposition Universelle in 1889, as well as the artist’s retrospective in 1907, receiving praise in literature and in the press on the many occasions that it was publicly presented. The painting’s impeccable provenance confirms the importance of the work and it feels particularly poignant that the picture was formerly in the collection of Millicent A. Rogers, an equally inimitable and iconic woman.
Though the motif of the butterfly is typically suggestive of ephemerality, Stevens immortalises the youth and beauty of his ‘Divine Sarah’, as well as his own artistic mastery, at a point when legacy was at the forefront of his mind.