"La Samaritaine (Woman of Samaria) was a play with a biblical
theme, written by Edmond Rostand for Miss. Bernhardt and introduced
by her during the Easter season of 1897. She played Photina, a girl
from the Samaria district of ancient Palestine, who become a supporter
of Jesus and leads her whole tribe in converting to Christianity.
For his poster, Mucha chose a scene from the second act in which the
girl carries around a large water jar…Edmond Rostand was one
of several playwrights who became admirers as well as lovers of Sarah
Bernhardt during her career…To catch the mood of the play, Mucha
put a mosaic with Hebrew lettering (Jehova) into his customary halo
around Sarah's head. A seemingly random scattering of stars follows
the convolutions of her hair, and stylized flowers adorn the corners"(Rennert/Weill
p.118)
"Bernhardt's mother was a Jew. For the actress, this was both a
blessing and a curse. In Biblical roles such as Photine ... she
turned her Semitic exoticism into an alluring attribute. In the
poster by Alphonse Mucha for the play, the Hebrew inscription 'JAHWEH'
appears behind Bernhardt's head, while 'SHADDAI,' another Hebrew
word for God, accompanies the inset picture. Playing to the public's
appetite for beautiful Jewesses redeemed by their conversion to
Christianity, Bernhardt in the role of the Samaritan woman adheres
to a faith resembling pre-rabbinical Judaism. Almost Jewish, but
not quite, Photine is a sort of surrogate for Bernhardt and her
equivocal religious identity" (Bernhardt/Drama, p. 2).
|
Gallery |
News |
History |
About Us |
Contact |
Links 
Search
»
