Portrait of Madame Helleu
In this portrait of Alice Helleu, the artist shows his wife and favorite model in a flounced white gown, leaning elegantly on a pedestal table or ledge. His use of red, black, and white media recalls the "trois crayons" technique of eighteenth-century masters, though updated by his spare, linear graphic manner. Helleu earned his reputation as a celebrated society portraitist of the Belle Epoque for works executed in this distinctive style.
Artwork Details
- Title: Portrait of Madame Helleu
- Artist: Paul-César Helleu (French, Vannes 1859–1927 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1900
- Medium: Red chalk, pastel, and graphite
- Dimensions: Sheet: 28 11/16 × 19 5/16 in. (72.8 × 49 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Gift of Betsey and Arthur Selkowitz, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.462
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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