Georges Clairin

Georges Jules Victor Clairin (11 September 1843 – 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.

Life

Clairin was born in Paris. He apprenticed in the workshops of Isidore Pils and François-Édouard Picot. In 1861 he entered the École des beaux-arts de Paris, In 1895, he travelled to Egypt with the composer Camille Saint-Saëns.

He is best known for his portraits of Sarah Bernhardt, with whom he had a long friendship and whom he depicted in costume for a number of her roles, including as the queen in Ruy Blas (1879), Mélisande in La Princesse Lointaine (1895 and 1899), Cleopatra (1900), Theodora (1902) and Saint Teresa of Ávila; he also showed her in less formal poses. Clairin painted many ceilings, among them the foyers of the Opéra Garnier (1874) and the Le Trident, the theatre of Cherbourg.

He died in 1919 in Pouldu, Clohars-Carnoët.

He was the uncle of the painter .

Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt, 1876

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

Emile Zola found that: "Mademoiselle Sarah Bernhardt isn't pretty but she has fine intelligent features and Clairin has been able to give her a smooth little face and vulgar sensuality like Cabanel would paint."

In popular culture In the 2024 French biopic , Clairin was played by of the Comédie Française.

Works

Entrée à la mosquée du Chérif de Ouassam (1875) Les Favorites du sultan (1875) À l'extérieur du harem (1875) Portrait de Sarah Bernhardt (1876) Les brûleuses de varech à la Pointe du Raz (1882) Danseuse Ouled-Naïl (1885) L'Asie, L'Afrique (1889), Bourse de commerce de Paris Le Carnage (1890), Princeton University Art Museum Frou-Frou (1892) Fête fleurie Au balcon À l'opéra Portrait d'Alexandre Dumas fils Soldats français devant le temple de Karnak (1897) Sarah Bernhardt en Cléopâtre (1900) Retour des conscrits (désert d'Égypte) (1900) Marché à Madrid (1907) shown at the salon La Fantasia au Maroc (1907) shown at the salon Allah ! Allah ! (1908) shown at the salon Au lever du soleil, les moissonneurs arabes font leur prière (1909) shown at the salon Portrait de M. Terace à cheval, ministre de France à Tanger