Paul-César Helleu (1859-1927), Five Studies of Jeanne Tachard

Paul César Helleu (Vannes, 1859 - 1927, Paris)
Five Studies of the Head of Jeanne Tachard, c. 1900

Signed lower right: Helleu

Black, red and white chalk on paper

19 3/4 x 26 3/8 in
50 x 67 cm

Provenance
Private Collection, France

The Association Les Amis de Paul César Helleu has confirmed the classification of this work among the works of Paul-César Helleu in the forthcoming digital catalogue raisonné. Recorded under no. APCH DEE1-8553

This elegant and highly spirited sheet by Paul-César Helleu brings together five studies of Jeanne Tachard, observed from different angles and with remarkable graphic freedom. Executed in black, red and white chalk, the drawing perfectly illustrates Helleu’s celebrated ability to capture feminine grace, modern elegance and psychological nuance with a few swift, incisive lines.

Rather than presenting a single finished portrait, Helleu explores the sitter’s presence through a sequence of variations: profile, three-quarter view, frontal pose and downward glance. The result is almost cinematic, as though the artist were recording the fleeting movements of a fashionable Belle Époque woman. The black chalk gives structure to the eyes, hair and contours of the face, while the red chalk warms the cheeks, lips and coiffure. Touches of white heighten the collar and flesh tones, lending the sheet a refined luminosity.

The subject’s elaborate hairstyle, high collar and poised expression place the work firmly within the world of Belle Époque sophistication, a milieu in which Helleu became one of the most admired draughtsmen and portraitists. Both intimate and decorative, this large sheet has the immediacy of a studio study while retaining the elegance and finish that made Helleu’s portraits so sought after among collectors of his time.