Sarah Bernhardt, the Living Legend - A Collector's Passion

Exhibition catalogue Sarah Bernhardt, the Living Legend: A Collector’s Passion, presented at the Palais Lumière, Evian (4 July 2026 – 3 January 2027).

Actress, tragedienne, sculptor, painter, writer, muse and icon: at the dawn of the 20th century, Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) embodied the complete artist, the free-spirited woman and the pioneer who took French theatre to stages across the globe and epitomised an unprecedented form of artistic and media modernity.

More than a century after her death, Sarah Bernhardt remains the theatre’s first international star.

This book, featuring 150 previously unpublished works – paintings, photographs, posters, Art Nouveau jewellery and recreated costumes – immerses the reader in the aesthetic and intimate world of ‘La Divine’.

From Paris to New York, her unrivalled charisma and boundless artistic ambition forged a legend of striking modernity.