Louise Abbéma

This painting has not been lined and appears to be in excellent condition. Under UV, two small spots of touch-up fluoresce in the foreground and another spot in the sky at the horizon line.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Among the many artists who captured the celebrated actress Sarah Bernhardt's distinctive beauty was one of her closet friends Louise Abbéma.  Abbéma submitted her Portrait de Sarah Bernhardt to the Paris Salon of 1876 and painted her frequently in the following years (many works serving a promotional purpose for the actress). As suggested by an old inscription and descriptive text on the back of the present work, the woman wrapped in fur against the cold may be Bernhardt walking along New York's Hudson River cliffs. In 1880 Bernhardt launched an American tour, her ship arriving at the half-frozen Hudson on October 27; by the time of her last performance on December 4 she had captivated theatergoers. Documenting this trip, Abbéma submitted a drawing of Bernhardt being questioned by a "lady reporter" in New York for the "The Memoirs of Sarah Bernhardt" published in The Strand in 1904 (Sarah Bernhardt and her Times, exh. cat., Wildenstein, New York, pp. 105-9).