Fan
maker
Unknown
Datelate 19th century
Place MadeFrance, Europe
MediumInk and paint on paper and wood with ribbons
Dimensions21.5 x 12.7 cm (8 7/16 x 5 in.)
ClassificationsCostume
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberARC.006531
eMuseum ID727748
Other NumberU27w530
EmbARK ObjectID24936
TMS Source ID9142
Last Updated8/14/24
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryThis autographed fan came to Isabella Stewart Gardner through her friend Sarah Bernhardt, one of the most famous actors of their era. Gardner cultivated relationships with many celebrated performers and collected mementoes of her friendships with them. Bernhardt and Gardner maintained a friendly correspondence over the years, which the latter saved for display in her museum.
BibliographyNotesNathaniel Silver and Diana Seave Greenwald. Isabella Stewart Gardner: A Life (Boston, 2022), pp.118-121, fig. 64.
MarksNotesSigned and dated in ink (along right side): Sarah Bernhardt / 1879
Printed in ink: Merci
Printed in ink: Merci
ProvenanceNotesGift from actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) to Isabella Stewart Gardner in 1879.
Unknown
