Kenneth Silver, chair of New York University’s Fine Arts Department, and Carol Ockman, a professor of art history at Williams College, have created “Sarah Bernhardt: The Art of High Drama,” which runs at The Jewish Museum in New York City through April 2, 2006.

Kenneth Silver, chair of New York University’s Fine Arts Department, and Carol Ockman, a professor of art history at Williams College, have created “Sarah Bernhardt: The Art of High Drama,” which runs at The Jewish Museum in New York City through April 2, 2006.

Drawing from private collections in the United States and Europe, the exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, photography, costumes, jewelry, stage designs, her furniture and personal effects, as well as selected films in which she starred and recordings of her voice. Museum goers can “watch modernity being created before their eyes,” Silver says.

“Sarah Bernhardt was the first international superstar,” observes Silver, who adds the French actress was an inspiration for Mae West, Bette Midler, Marilyn Monroe, and Madonna. “Her life history is one of the first examples of how celebrities are created by the media.”

The Jewish Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd St. For more information, call 212.423.3200 or go to www.thejewishmuseum.org.

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