Clairin, Georges Jules Victor (French, 1843-1919)

George Jules Victor Clairin (1843-1919), more commonly known as Georges Clairin, was a French painter closely associated with the Orientalist movement. He visited North Africa many times over the course of his career, and painted numerous works of Middle Eastern and North African subjects.

Clairin also led the life of a socialite whilst in Paris and many of his paintings capture something of glamorous Parisian life in the late 19th Century. He was perhaps best known for his friendship with the famed Parisian actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923), who had celebrity status. Throughout his career, Clairin completed several portrait paintings of Bernhardt, including a masterful example in 1876, which was greatly admired and enhanced his reputation as an artist. 

In Paris, Clairin was admitted to the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris in 1861, where several of his works were exhibited throughout his career.