Sarah Bernhardt
Également connu sous : Sarah Bernhardt, Bernhardt
## Basic Information
Sarah Bernhardt (22/23 October 1844 -- 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress, widely considered the most famous actress of the 19th century and one of the first international celebrities. Known as "The Divine Sarah," she was celebrated for her dramatic roles, her commanding stage presence, and her flamboyant personality.
## Career During Marie's Lifetime
During the period of Marie's diary (1873-1884), Bernhardt was at the peak of her theatrical career: - *Comedie-Francaise: Principal actress from 1872 to 1880 - Landmark roles: Phedre (1874), Hernani (1877), Ruy Blas (1879) - International fame: First London tour (1879), which made her a sensation - Independence: Left the Comedie-Francaise in 1880 to manage her own company - Art and sculpture: Bernhardt was also a painter and sculptor, exhibiting at the Salon -- creating a direct parallel with Marie's artistic ambitions - Portrait by Bastien-Lepage*: Jules Bastien-Lepage painted Bernhardt's portrait (exhibited 1879), for which he received the Cross of the Legion of Honour
## Connection to Marie
Bernhardt represented the kind of fame and independence Marie herself craved. As a woman who achieved extraordinary success in a male-dominated world through sheer talent and force of personality, Bernhardt was both a cultural phenomenon Marie would have admired and a standard against which she measured her own aspirations. The fact that Bernhardt also practiced sculpture made her even more relevant to Marie's own multi-talented ambitions.
Bernhardt and Marie moved in overlapping Parisian circles. Bastien-Lepage, who became Marie's friend, painted Bernhardt's famous portrait. The theatrical world that Bernhardt dominated was one Marie attended regularly and wrote about in her diary.