Photo By Gail

The celebrated French actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844 – 1932) was the quintessential modern star. “The Divine” Sarah had the beauty and talent that heralded her as one of the greatest actresses of her  time, making her the perfect foil for Andy Warhol’s fascination with mass media, photography and  fame. In this portrait (1980), part of his series Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century, her stunning gaze is abstracted through Warhol’s signature Pop Art style: the bold use of luscious reds and pensive blues, stark geometry and incisive line.

Photographed in The Jewish Museum in Manhattan