Art Institute of Chicago

Self-Portrait as a Chimera

Sarah Bernhardt (French, 1844–1923)

Date

c. 1880

Medium

Brass

Culture

Paris

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

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.

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