The present work shows the actress Sarah Bernhardt, not in one of her theater roles, but as a model for the ideal-typical representation of female beauty in the fin-de-siècle.
This work is a study for a poster entitled "Fruit" that was to be printed later. This poster from 1897 was part of a series commissioned by the Parisian printing company F. Champenois Imprimeur-Éditeur to advertise the fruit liqueurs produced by this company.
With magnificent floral decorations in her hair and wearing a classically antique-inspired gown with a striking bracelet, the sitter presents a basket overflowing with fruit while gazing sensually over her shoulder at the viewer.
While the finished poster emphasizes the graphic-ornamental and naturally striking qualities, the present study expresses Mucha's painterly skill and artistic finesse, which in its lyrical understanding and iridescent dynamism stands in exciting contrast to the work of the printmaker Mucha.
