Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-12-22

Br.sHArDr 4. PArsrrH AND SCULPTOR.

| in Boston Just now is Mdl]e. BerDhardt,-
Issactress, painter and sculptor" =" as the cata-
logue calls her. OF the first of her three vo-
cations propose to say nothing. as il has be-
come more than ''twice told tale" But
Mdlle. Sara brought with her beside her toi-
lettes and her histriouic powers-twenty-one
productions in marble, bronze, or on canvas,
which we're exhibited to the public in New
York. and again during her stay in Boston.
| The idea strikes one AZ first rather odd.
and not altogether pleasant though fiattering.
II is as if she had determined to win the
plaudits of those cold creatures .'tes Amer'-
Gaines, if not in one way then in another.
s.You do not like me as an actress, Then
look at these paintings and sculptures. Am
not genius?"
| large room in the Studio building was
engaged for the exhibition, where the slender
collection was very judiciously arranged and
prettily set off with large leayed plants, scat
tered about in an artistic manner. Indeed it
was all done under the artists personal su-
| pervision, believe, and on the opening day
| she gave an informal reception TO select
company assembled by special invitation
I must confess to a little prejudice in my
mind as went to see this exhibition, for il is
one of my beliefs that no one, and more es-
peeialIy no woman, can do two 1r more things
equally well. But having seen it, I had to
| ms Ike a second confession TO the effect that
though the work was very uneven. yet all in
| all il bore the stamp of real genius.
| There were fifteen of the paintings and
very few of them were good. No. l. RE
tour a la .Voison,'' struck me very COM
monplaee. A tall young lady, with prefer
naturally large ewes, stands drawing of her
gloves-those immensely long gloves with
| loosely wrnkled wrists that have come to be
known as the Bernhard glove. They appear
| in her own costume on every occasion, as
well as in her paintings. No. 2, the PARIS
ienne," was figure, half reclining as in a
carriage, dressed in a dull purple suit and
carrying pink parasol. The ''hcroyebte"
was another female figure. whose distinguish
| ing characteristics were an impossible head
| gear and huge muff. But Nos. and in
the list, the little Breton girl seated and lit
| tie Breton girl standing. were really admir-
able. Not only was the quaint costume
faithfully reproduced. but the positions
were very natural; and the shy expression
| in the girls eyes as she looked sidewise
| at something she had not quite the courage
| to face, was capitally done. One could not
but believe that Mdlle. Bernhardt had, by
some lucky accident, succeeded in re produc-
| ing the exact expression of her little model,
as the latter stood half-awed by the strange
process.
No. 6, .'.Jerae File et Ia Mort was the
most pretentious of all the paintings, and No.
Is. ".Ieune File" was only a study for the
former The pose of the girl is good as she
stands in her quaint, purple costume, against
pink background, scattered with white
flowers, (Which looks like a wall paper by the
way) Death. a skeleton thinly disguised in
| filmy white draperies, comes from behind,
| and, winding about her, so to speak, clutches
| her shoulder in a particularly uncanny and
insinuating manner. In the girls hands.
which are clasped loosely before her she bears
| long stems of purple lilies. ().-and we also
note the familiar yellow hair, the abnormaly
| large blue eyes, and the long gloves. Under
| meath is the legend:
ia Mort glisse en- sou rive ct tout bas; viens dit
ellie
| L. amour est l. ephemere ct je suis immortelle.'
This picture was exhibited at the Salon of
| 1880, and was thought worthy OF a full page
etching in '.L'Art" The color of the work
| is warmly commended by Paul Mantz. the
art critic of lie Temps" who speaks of the
| artists delicate choice of tones" with the
comment that she "knows color by instinct :"
| The Woman on the Sea-shore had a good
pose As had nearly all her figures, though not
much can be said for her surroundings and
another "Marine" (No. ~ is abominable.
In No. Sat the Theatre"-we have the
same woman with the same eyes and yellow
hair that appeared in Nos. 2, ), 6 and Z. "A
Vase of Flowers" was very poorly done,
nothing being at all recognizable save some
4 l,,,n Nh |
was strong in color, but the drawing was
faulty. giving them the appearance of being
Stuffed worse. In No. l2-"Young Girl
and Boy."--we find really new face. The
| little girl has sweetly serious expression
that might have been worn by some little
| Puritan maiden. and the whole effect is one
of quiet. careful work.
There was also set of pen and ink
sketches from various scenes in her plays,
but there was nothing particularly commend
able in them.
| But turning now to the sculpture. one is
agreeably surprised by the excellence of
the work displayed. The bust of NJ.
Gerartlin in bronze. is a piece of realistic
portraiture very powerfully done. the mod
elling being very fine indeed. Another
| bronze piece was fantastic ink-stand.
composed of an excellent head of the
actress. with grifiin's claws, wings and body
The claws clasp the ink-well and the eyes
seem to peer out beneath tangle of falling
hair, with an indefinable expression, very
hard to analyze and impossible to describe.
| One wonders little at first and then after
wards not at all as to That her mood could have
been when she did it. As stood looking at
| it phrase of Joseph Cooks kept repeating
| itself in nv mind-"The Souls laughter at
itself" The remaining pieces were in mar
Bile. "Primavera" small bust of young
girl was very graceful and delicate. Another
bust was portrait of Regina Bernhardt, the
deceased sister of the actress.-The full
length statuette of herself was very pleasing
She leans on fiuted column hung
with flowers, holding in one hand a
mallet and in the other mask. The
figure shows very plainly through the tight
fitting robe and was very well done. But
the master piece in the collection was the
"Ophelia," and of that any sculptor might we'll
be proud This is in alto reiiero and repre-
sents the maiden dead with her howercrowned
head and bust as seen floating in the water,
the face turned to one side. The modelling
of the shoulders, head and neck is very fine; !;
and the long floating hair. the beautiful face,
peaceful in death. the rippling water are all
admirably done. This piece will appear in
the next Salon and should earn generous