A painting by Rochegrosse acquired by the Petit Palais

11/8/23 - Acquisition - Paris, Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris - It is difficult to know whether this Japanese from Studio is really Sarah Bernhardt. The painting is by Georges Rochegrosse, who represented the actress on several occasions (ill. 1). It was bought by the Petit Palais from the Galerie L’Horizon chimérique, in Bordeaux, and joins several portraits of the woman who was nicknamed "the Divine" in the collections; there is of course the famous and monumental painting by Georges Clairin, which was given by Maurice Bernhardt after the death of her mother in 1923, but also the pastel by her great friend Louise Abbema acquired in 2020 (see the news item of 21/10/20) as well as a medal by René Lalique and an earthenware dish by ceramist Edmond Lachenal. Most…