Biographies

Paul César Helleu (1859 – 1927) Helleu, who painted the astrological ceiling for New York City’s Grand Central Station in 1912, was best known as a society portraitist and friend of . John Singer Sargent Helleu attended the atelier of in 1876. To provide himself with sufficient income he began his career by decorating ceramics, and as his reputation increased he began to receive portrait commisions. In 1884 he undertook to paint the young Alice Guerin, then only aged 14 years old, with whom he fell in love. After a two year courtship her parents relented and the couple were married. Their first child was “Ellen”, later to become one of her fathers favorite models, was born in 1887. Jean Leon Gerome He was criticized, in (March 7, 1908) and elsewhere for paying more attention to the hats of his subjects than to their persons, but his impeccable technique has kept his work alive. We have included some hat paintings in our file, but also some work that shows why he was admired. The New Age (NA 2.19:377)