John Singer Sargent, RA (American, 1856-1925) Portrait study of Paul-César Helleu signed and inscribed 'témoignage/d'admiration/John S. Sargent' (lower right) pen and ink on artist's carte de visite 8 x 4.5cm (3 1/8 x 1 3/4in). Footnotes: We are grateful to the John Singer Sargent vetting committee for confirming the authenticity of this work. We are also grateful to Les Amis de Paul-César Helleu for kindly confirming that the sitter depicted is Paul-César Helleu. John Singer Sargent, born in Florence in 1856 to expatriate American parents, spent his early years travelling through the cities and seaside resorts of Europe. Determined to pursue a career as an artist, he moved to Paris in 1874, enrolling at the École des Beaux Arts while also studying privately with the celebrated portrait painter Carolus Duran. Comfortable within the cosmopolitan milieu of Parisian studios, Sargent formed friendships with a wide circle of French artists as well as fellow expatriates. It was in this environment that he met the young artist Paul Helleu. Sargent was twenty two at the time, while Helleu was eighteen, and the latter was immediately struck by Sargent's cultivated manner and artistic assurance. When Helleu encountered financial difficulties early in his career, Sargent purchased one of his pastels, an act of encouragement that helped strengthen both his confidence and reputation. In the years that followed, Sargent continued to support and promote his friend. The two artists often travelled together and were frequent companions in Parisian cafés. Helleu and his wife Alice also served as models for Sargent on several occasions. Among the most celebrated works resulting from their friendship is the plein air painting Paul Helleu Sketching with his Wife (An Out of Doors Study), painted during the summer of 1889 at Fladbury and now in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing