Georges Clairin
Georges Jules Victor Clairin 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 apprenticed in the workshops of Isidore Pils and François-Édouard Picot. In 1861 he entered the École des beaux-arts de Paris, and in 1866 first displayed his work. He travelled to Spain with Henri Regnault and to Italy with François Flameng and Jean-Léon Gérôme. He met the Catalan painter Marià Fortuny in Morocco and they visited Tétouan together. 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, Mélisande in La Princesse Lointaine, Cleopatra, Theodora 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 and the Le Trident, the theatre of Cherbourg.
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 Les Favorites du sultan À l'extérieur du harem Portrait de Sarah Bernhardt Les brûleuses de varech à la Pointe du Raz Danseuse Ouled-Naïl L'Asie, L'Afrique, Bourse de commerce de ParisLe Carnage, Princeton University Art MuseumFrou-Frou Fête fleurieAu balconÀ l'opéraPortrait d'Alexandre Dumas filsSoldats français devant le temple de Karnak Sarah Bernhardt en Cléopâtre Retour des conscrits Marché à Madrid shown at the salon La Fantasia au Maroc shown at the salonAllah ! Allah ! shown at the salonAu lever du soleil, les moissonneurs arabes font leur prière shown at the salon- ''Portrait de M. Terace à cheval, ministre de France à Tanger''