Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) was a wildly popular figure of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Europe and America, owing to her prolific work onstage and in the new medium of cinema. She was also a skilled self-promoter, and the circulation of hundreds of photos and engravings of her—often in her most memorable roles—solidified her position in the cultural zeitgeist. The famous entertainer is depicted in a lavish costume in her own home, gazing at a figurine of the Greek hero of poetry and music, Orpheus. Bernhardt is positioned in full profile, recalling Italian Renaissance portraiture, and even though her features may have been enough for the cognoscenti to recognize, the inscription at the upper left leaves no doubt as to the identity of the elegant sitter. This etching was created for reproduction purposes by the accomplished engraver Eugène Champollion almost immediately after Bastien-Lepage completed his painting.