The New York herald., 1921-01-02
~ ERPETUAL youth, says Paul Helleu,
the famous portraitist of women. is

~ ERPETUAL youth, says Paul Helleu,
the famous portraitist of women. is
the endowment of American women.
If the French artist is>not exaggerating his
estimate of this remarkable trait, then our
mothers and sisters are honored, as Hebe
was by the gods, with gifts of perpetual
beauty and immortal youth. The Frenohman
asserted his sincerity
With every reason to fatter the belle
AnlericAine who has been always so kind to
me. utter the thought of my heart when
saying that she appears to me to be ever
young Besides, am artist, and at the
basis of any genuine art is truth. should
be furnishing my art if for any reason other
than verify make this Judgment.
But it is true. Always the soul of the
American woman remains young. What
matter the few lines, the tiny blemishes that
follow the years? If we keep young In
spirit. then the outer covering shall count
for very 'little--and to the painters eyes it
counts for nothing.
Listen to me! (Entendes- moi) Who secs
the marks of age on a face that has been
The husband, in love with the woman with
whom he has lived for long, does not see
that along with him she, too, grows old He
is surprised. shocked and disturbed when he
hears that . stranger has called this creature
Of his devotion an old woman He searches
for a reason for that unfortunate judgment
and, not finding it, the devoted man 500.
puts 1t out of his mind
Cites a Painting by Sargent
To Prove the Point He Makes
II am myself an instance of this failure to
perceive the progress of destructive time.
In Brooklyn now. at the Museo there
(Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences), is
on exhibition a resume Of the works of that
great and modest American painter whom
am proud to name as my best friend and
patron, John Sargent.
Contained In that collection is a copy of
the painting Sargent made of my wife, Nine.
Helleu, and myself when we We're quite
young. For myself I see how great have
been the changes. but to me Nine. Helleu
remains to-day as young and charming and
lovely as Sargent painted her.
This Is but an instance. Admittedly it
begs the question Of the youth everlasting
stay there, for when endow American
ladies with this great gift have the artists
excuse for 1t. One rises out of any expert
ence. have painted or etched the portraits
of so many women since left the atelier of
my master, the great Gerome, that L am
justified In saying this experience was reaped
almost all over the world. The French, Ital-
ian. Spanish, Austrian and English women,
grdnde danes of every nation, artists of
every degree, or women who were merely
wealthy--all have been my clients. With all
l have done my best.
All. but granting that have the artists
feeling, the artists eye and the artists heart,
not all these women inspired me. No! In
many examples I was forced to work because
it was my meter There lacked soul in my 4
labors.
Many times I greved because of the
results. But ! could do no better. So many
Of these ladies. whose ages knew not-nor
cared to know-were no longer young in
soul. They brought to my sittings fatigued
spirit IT lighted nothing in my own.
with the American women this sad lack
of ignition has never happened. All fire me
with life, animation, ambition to do my best,
all make me forget that life means growing
old and retreat at last called death. 1t is
good 10 forget these things.
For do, you appreciate. Monsieur, our