Funerary Portrait of Jacques Damala
The great tragic actress, Sarah Bernhardt, was also a gifted sculptor. She carved this haunting memorial to her husband, the actor Jacques Damala (1855–1889), shortly after he had died of a drug overdose. Bernhardt envisions Damala as if on his deathbed, his youthful features captured in sleep. Yet the sheet covering him also is a winding shroud and the cut flowers wilt upon a marble slab that is reminiscent of a tomb.
Artwork Details
- Title: Funerary Portrait of Jacques Damala
- Artist: Sarah Bernhardt (French, Paris 1844–1923 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1889
- Culture: French, Paris
- Medium: Marble
- Dimensions: Overall (wt confirmed): 11 x 18 1/8 x 12 1/4 in., 97lb. (27.9 x 46 x 31.1 cm, 43.9989kg)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Purchase, Assunta Sommella Peluso, Ignazio Peluso, Ada Peluso and Romano I. Peluso Gift, 2009
- Object Number: 2009.419
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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