Georges Jules Victor Clairin

Georges-Jules-Victor Clairin (French, 1843-1919) Frou Frou signed and dated 'G. Clairin. 1882' (lower right) oil on canvas 95 x 55½ in. (241.3 x 140.9 cm.) PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF JOAN B. KROC Born in Paris in 1843, Georges Clairin received his artist education at the École des Beaux-Arts under the tutelage of Isidore Pils and François Edouard Picot beginning in 1861. He accompanied Henri Regnault on his travels throughout Spain and Morocco, and went to Italy with François Flameng and Jean Léon Gérôme. During his stay in Morocco, Clairin met the Catalan artist Mariano Fortuny and together they visited Tetuan. In 1895, Clairin traveled to Egypt with the composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Clairin was awarded the Silver Medal at the Exposition universelle in 1889 and was made an officer of the Legion of Honor in 1897. Clairin is best known for his portraits of Sarah Bernhardt, with whom he had an enduring friendship, and he painted her in a number of roles, such as the Queen in Ruys Blas (1879), Melisande in La Princesse lointain (1895 and 1899), Cleopatra (1900) Theodora (1902 and Saint Teresa of Avila. In addition to these stage portraits, Clairin painted her several times in more intimate surroundings. His 1876 portrait of the famous actress (fig. 1) made the artist's reputation and was very well received at the Salon of that year. 'Le portrait de Madame Sara Bernhardt est assurément une des oeuvres les plus saillantes du Salon, tant par l'originalit de la composition que par la splendeur du coloris.' (Théodore Véron, Le salon de 1876: mémorial de l'art et des artistes de mon temps, Poitiers, 1876). Clairin's association with the theatre and Paris Opèra shaped his artistic development. His oeuvre is dominated by extraordinary images of larger than life characters, and Frou Frou certainly falls into this milieu. David B. Shepp writes in 1897: 'Frou-Frou is a character familiar to the world through the famous French drama of that name and the picture by Clairin is an ideal portrayal of the heroine of that play. She is perfectly typical -- a beautiful, coquettish, light hearted merry young woman, committing perhaps many follies, never bad at heart and erring though thoughtlessness rather than through intent. The picture portrays her in a gown a waving flounces, plumed hat and jaunty slippers, tripping along with all the buoyancy of joyous youth. Painted in 1882, it was suggested to the artist by Bernhardt's notable and versatile presentation of that play, though it is by no means a portrait of that actress' (Daniel B. Shepp, Shepp's Library of History and Art, 1897, p. 202). (fig. 1) Georges Clairin Sarah Bernhardt, 1876 Musée de la Ville de Paris, Musée du Petit-Palais, France Giraudon The Bridgeman Art Library.

Georges-Jules Victor CLAIRIN (1843-1919) Sarah Bernhardt debout dans un décor théatral Huile sur toile, signée et dédicacée en bas à gauche «à Victorien Sardou Sarah Bernhardt» 57 x 38 cm - 223/8 x 147/8 in. Oil on canvas, signed and dedicated lower left «à Victorien Sardou Sarah Bernhardt»

LOT 41 GEORGES-JULES-VICTOR CLAIRIN PARIS 1843 - 1919 BELLE ÎLE EN MER FEMMES OULED NAÏL EN TENUE DE FÊTE GEORGES-JULES-VICTOR CLAIRIN ; OULED NAÏL WOMEN IN FEAST DRESSES ; SIGNED LOWER LEFT ; GOUACHE AND WATERCOLOUR ON PAPER Signé en bas à gauche G. Clairin Gouache et aquarelle sur papier 46 x 29 cm ; 18 by 11 1/2 in

Jules-Georges-Victor Clairin (Paris 1843-1919 Belle-lle-en-Mer, Morbihan) A winged chimera over the rocks of the Port-Coton at Belle-Ile signed 'G. Clairin' (lower right) watercolor and bodycolor 14 x 9¼ in. (35.5 x 23.5 cm.) Provenance Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, Monaco, 3 December 1989, lot 743. with Spencer Samuels, New York.

LOT 151 GEORGES-JULES-VICTOR CLAIRIN PARIS 1843 - 1919 BELLE ÎLE EN MER SARAH BERNHARDT DANS L'ETRANGÈRE GEORGES CLAIRIN ; SARAH BERNHARDT IN L'ETRANGÈRE ; SIGNED LOWERLEFT, TITLED AND DATED LONDON 1879 ; PENCIL Signé en bas à gauche G.Clairin; Annoté en bas Sarah Bernhardt in l'Etrangère, London 1879 Crayon noir Georges Clairin ; Sarah Bernhardt in l'Etrangère ; Signed lowerleft, titled and dated London 1879 ; Pencil 40,5 x 26,5 cm ; 16 by 10 1/2 in