Bernhardt as Gismonda

Mucha wasn't the only artist of his time to portray Sarah Bernhardt — he was the most famous artist to do so. As an actress, Bernhardt knew the value of PR image, and so made the effort to go beyond the theatre stage to portray her characters via the great artists of her time.  In doing so she became the most iconic actress of that time.

Here below, she is Gismonda, Duchess of Athens in Sardou's play—"greatest of Bernhardt's artistic triumphs", as portrayed in 1896 by Theobald Chartran. 

And below from here is Mucha's famous poster of Bernhardt as Gismonda from 1894.