Collection: Abbema Louise

Born into a wealthy aristocratic Parisian family with close ties to the city’s artistic community, Abbéma studied art with several master painters. Portraits of actors and actresses at the Comédie Française dominated her early works until she made a name for herself at the Salon of 1876 with her portrayal of the “Divine Sarah.”  Abbéma ultimately executed multiple portraits and a bronze medallion of Bernhardt, with whom she was a close friend and possibly lover.