Georges Clairin

Georges Jules Victor Clairin (11 September 1843, Paris – Pouldu, Clohars-Carnoët 2 September 1919) was a French Orientalist painter and illustrator. He was influenced by Eastern imagery Moorish architecture, and visited North Africa many times, in particular Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. In Paris he led the life of a socialite, and befriended the glamorous actress Sarah Bernhardt, his friend for 50 years, and is today best known for his 'in costume' and informal intimate portraits of her.^[1]

Life

Clairin was apprenticed in the workshops of

He was the uncle of the painter Pierre-Eugène Clairin [fr].

Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt, 1876

Clairin's 1876 portrait of Sarah Bernhardt drew praise. Théodore Véron said of it:

The portrait of Mademoiselle Sarah Bernhardt is assuredly one of the most prominent of the Salon, as much for the originality of its composition as for the splendour of its colour.^[3][4]

Monsieur Clarin shows us her wrapped in a long robe of white satin with a trailing train, she is resting on a luxurious divan of pink satin and leaning on a cushion of the same material draped in gold; to her right and in the depths of this Oriental apartment is a Venetian mirror surrounded by purple velvet curtains; to her left a tropical plant lowers its green leaves over the meditating actress and sculptress; at here feet a yellow hound of a large breed rests on its long legs and stretches out its proud and aristocratic head.^[4][5]

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  A galant couple from c. 1919
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  An Ouled Nail Tribal Dancer, 1895
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  On the Balcony, c. 1910
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  La Fête fleurie
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  Actress in the role of Ophelia
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  At the Opera, c. 1900
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  Spanish Women on Balcony
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  Sarah Bernhardt
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  Walk in the Woods, c. 1900
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  Frou Frou, 1882
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  À l'opéra, or At the Opera, c 1900
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  A lake with Naiads, c 1900
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  The distant Princess, c 1900
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  Young woman in the morning, 1909

Notes and references