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Lot Essay
Mrs Paulette Howard-Johnson has kindly confirmed the authenticity of this painting.
By the early 1890s, Helleu and his wife Alice had become popular figures in European aristocratic society. It was in these circles that Helleu was introduced to the most fashionable and elegant women of society who became the principle sitters for his portraits over the next few years. Robert de Montesquieu, the author and poet, introduced Helleu to his cousin, the Countess Elisabeth Greffulhe. She invited Helleu to her Château of Bois-Boudran and commissioned him to sketch her in a series of different postures throughout the day. This commission launched Helleu into the cràeme of the Parisian high society and from then on his drawings, pastels, and dry-points came to embody the epitome of glamour.
By the early 1890s, Helleu and his wife Alice had become popular figures in European aristocratic society. It was in these circles that Helleu was introduced to the most fashionable and elegant women of society who became the principle sitters for his portraits over the next few years. Robert de Montesquieu, the author and poet, introduced Helleu to his cousin, the Countess Elisabeth Greffulhe. She invited Helleu to her Château of Bois-Boudran and commissioned him to sketch her in a series of different postures throughout the day. This commission launched Helleu into the cràeme of the Parisian high society and from then on his drawings, pastels, and dry-points came to embody the epitome of glamour.