SwissArtGallery · Documented identity
The French painter and illustrator Georges Clairin combined Orientalist subjects in his work with an extensive gallery of portraits of Sarah Bernhardt, with whom he was friends. Born in Paris on 11 September 1843, he died in Clohars-Carnoët on 2 September 1919.
From 1861, he studied at the École des beaux-arts in Paris, in the studios of Isidore Pils and François-Édouard Picot, and made his Salon debut in 1866. His travels took him to Spain with Henri Regnault and the sculptor Marcello, then to Italy with François Flameng and Jean-Léon Gérôme; in 1895, he travelled to Egypt with the composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The notice presents him as representative of the Orientalist movement. The list of Salons mentions Marché à Madrid and La Fantasia au Maroc in 1907, Allah ! Allah ! in 1908, and Au Lever du soleil, les moissonneurs arabes font leur prière in 1909.
Portraits of Sarah Bernhardt occupy a notable place in his work. Clairin depicted her in several roles, including the queen in Ruy Blas in 1879, Mélisande in La Princesse lointaine in 1895 and 1899, Cleopatra in 1900 and Theodora in 1902, as well as Saint Teresa of Ávila. His works also include Les Saltimbanques, an oil on canvas dated 1869. Les Brûleuses de varech à la Pointe du Raz, dated 1882, is held at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Saint-Brieuc.
For the Palacio Cousiño in Santiago, Clairin created around twenty panels. Most were destroyed in a fire in 1968; eight remain in the vestibule.
This profile brings together identity references for Georges Clairin and paintings, drawings and works on paper documented in auction catalogues.
6 references are documented at Dobiaschofsky, Schuler, DognyAuction, Piguet. Each record links to its source; the amounts are not a general valuation of the artist’s work.
Gouache
Trabaccoli im Hafen von Venedig
gouache
Catalogue period : 2026-06-29
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
Estimate : CHF 600–1000
View the lot at the auction house ↗
Gouache
Trabaccoli im Hafen von Venedig
gouache
Catalogue period : 2026-03-23
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
Estimate : CHF 1000–1400
View the lot at the auction house ↗
Graphite pencil on paper
Portrait de Sarah Bernhardt
Crayon de graphite sur papier
Catalogue period : 2021-11-24 — 2021-12-08
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
Estimate : CHF 500–700
View the lot at the auction house ↗Oil on painting board
Porträt eines Kosaken in Uniform.
Öl auf Mkt
Date to be documented
Published result : 1400 CHF
Fees not specified in the available data
Estimate : CHF 2200
View the lot at the auction house ↗
Watercolour on paper
Georges CLAIRIN (1843-1919), 'Ophelie'
aquarelle sur papier
Date to be documented
Published result : 10606 CHF
Fees not specified in the available data
View the lot at the auction house ↗These references are shown separately because of their attribution or lot composition. Each record states the reason.
Watercolour
Attribué à Georges Clairin — Etude de costumes ouled naïl
aquarelle
attribué à
Catalogue period : 2025-03-06 — 2025-03-19
Attributed to
Published result : 750 CHF
Fees not specified in the available data
Estimate : CHF 300–500
View the lot at the auction house ↗SwissArtGallery documentary note based on the cited sources. Titles, media and qualifications are provided in the profile language; the original catalogue wording remains available in each record.
Documentation updated : 2026-10-19
