Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) was acclaimed as the greatest actor of her generation. The daughter of a Dutch-born Jewish courtesan, she commenced study at the Paris Conservatoire at age sixteen and at eighteen was accepted into the Comédie Française. She earned great acclaim there and at the Théâtre de l'Odéon with her performances in plays by Moliere, Hugo, Racine and others, but her relentless self-promotion and unconventional lifestyle made her unpalatable to administrators, resulting in her forming her own company in 1879. 'The Divine Sarah' was a prototype of the global superstar, ultimately performing in at least 70 roles in some 125 productions around the world. This photograph by Sydney's Falk Studio was made during her Australian tour in 1891. Established by Melbourne-born H Walter Barnett in 1885, Falk Studios was the go-to studio for portraits of local and visiting celebrities. In the 1890s Barnett established a highly successful photographic studio in London, where he created portraits for royalty and high society clientele. His works were widely admired for their beauty and artistic strength.
Purchased 2017
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Drawn from the NPG’s burgeoning collection of cartes de visite, Carte-o-mania! celebrates the wit, style and substance of the pocket-sized portraits that were taken and collected like crazy in post-goldrush Australia.
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