Jeanne d'Arc/Sarah Bernhardt
Artist
Eugène Grasset
France, 1845 - 1917
Printer
Imp. Draeger & Lesieur, Paris
France
Datec. 1889
Dimensions46 1/2 x 28 1/2 in. (118.1 x 72.4 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LineGift of Jayne H. Baum
Object numberPH.6676
DescriptionThis is one of two posters designed by Eugène Grasset for Sarah Bernhardt in the title role of Jules Barbier’s play, Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc). The great French actress was also the manager of the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin and had full command over her publicity; this is probably why she chose the distinguished illustrator and graphic designer to represent her in this important role. (She typically hired the best designers for such projects; Alphonse Mucha was another.) Both posters reflect Grasset’s interest in the medieval decorative arts, especially stained-glass windows, as well as what seems to have been a genuine fascination with the drama of Joan of Arc herself. In 1893, he entered a competition to design stained-glass windows in the nave of the Sainte-Croix d’ Orleans cathedral illustrating the story of Joan of Arc, who had liberated the town from the English in 1429. While he did not win, three of his watercolor designs for the project survive in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. In this poster, Sarah Bernhardt is shown facing an onslaught of arrows as she stands in the heroic pose of a saint in a stained-glass window. The effect is reinforced by the integral Gothic-style lettering.On View
Not on view
