Alphonse Mucha "La Dame aux Camelias" Lithograph

In the iconic 1896 revival of La Dame aux Camélias, Sarah Bernhardt portrayed the dying courtesan Marguerite Gautier, clad in a flowing white dressing gown. She wraps a bed sheet around her body like a stole—an informal, intimate ensemble that reflects both her illness, which confines her to bed, and the raw reality of her life as a sex worker. Her look is accented by a luxurious ermine muff, a symbol of her former life as a high-society courtesan.

Marguerite stands gracefully in profile, gripping the wrought-iron balustrade of her Parisian apartment. Known as “the lady of the camellias,” she signaled her sexual availability with camellias: red when she was menstruating, white when she was not. The surrounding borders and props in the production evoke elements of the story with rich symbolism. Armand’s white-gloved hand is shown offering a bouquet of camellias, arranged in the style of Madonna lily offerings found in churches—an image that underscores the tension between the sacred and the profane in Marguerite’s life.

This duality highlights the tragedy of her existence. Though scorned by polite society for her profession, she is redeemed through her pure love for Armand and her untimely death. On the upper left border, a Sacred Heart pierced by a crown of thorns symbolizes Christ’s enduring compassion and sacrificial love for humanity—a visual metaphor for Marguerite’s suffering. On the upper right, a heart encircled by a bracelet references a lavish gift that marks her status as a courtesan. The bracelet evokes Armand’s jealousy and suspicion, as he interprets it as evidence of her continued ties to wealthy patrons.