Musings on preparing a catalogue raisonné of sculptural works by Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) 
by Dr Miranda Mason

In this talk, I will discuss specific works by Bernhardt, the history of how she began to make sculpture, my assessment of her artistic and organisational abilities as a sculptor, alongside some of the pitfalls of researching and writing about someone who was scrutinised ad infinitum during her lifetime and afterwards. Although it was well-known during her lifetime that Bernhardt was a sculptor, and her work has been exhibited frequently since,  relatively little of substance has been established. Works are scattered, untraced, misnamed. Documentary material is sparse or contradictory. I hope to share some of the challenges and pleasures of my progress in this endeavour.

Miranda Mason is an independent art historian living in Leeds. She completed her PhD on Sarah Bernhardt’s sculpture practice in 2007 at the University of Leeds. Her interest remains centred on nineteenth-century sculpture and women artists in general, and specifically where these two categories overlap.