1858 - 1958
A descendent of John Pintard, a principal founder of the New York Historical Society, Helen Turner was the daughter of a prosperous coal merchant. Following her mother's death in 1865, she lived with the family of her uncle in New Orleans. Turner began painting around 1880, and may have studied at the New Orleans Art Unio with Bors Wickstrom. In 1893, she began a two year tenure as an instructor at the St. Mary's Institute in Dallas, Texas.
Turner had moved to New York by 1895 to continue her artistic education. Probably with Wickstrom's encouragement, she entered the Art Students' League, studying with Kenyon Cox and Douglas Volk. From 1898 to 1901 and again from 1904 to 1905, Turner also studied portraiture with Volk at the Woman's Art School of Cooper Union. Turner was also on a scholarship in the fine arts department of Teacher's College, Columbia University from 1899 to 1903. By 1902, however, she was employed as an instructor in cast and life drawing and color and costume design at the Art School of the New York Young Women's Christian Association where she would remain until 1919. During the first decade of the century, she painted landscapes, after which time, Turner specialized in flower and figure painting.
While she spent several summer in Europe with William Merritt Chase as well as on Prince Edward Island, Canada, Turner's principal association was with the art colony at Cragsmoor, New York. The home and studio she built there became her permanent summer residence until the middle of the 1920s. She did however tour Italy again with Chase during the summer of 1911, while in 1922 she made an extended visit to Paris and Spain with the artist Thalia Millet.
Turner closed her New York studio and returned to New Orleans in 1926. Although she traveled to Mexico in 1930, cataracts began to impair her vision. Painting into her nineties, Turner's deteriorating eyesight and loss of hearing affected her work in the latter years of her life.
Turner had moved to New York by 1895 to continue her artistic education. Probably with Wickstrom's encouragement, she entered the Art Students' League, studying with Kenyon Cox and Douglas Volk. From 1898 to 1901 and again from 1904 to 1905, Turner also studied portraiture with Volk at the Woman's Art School of Cooper Union. Turner was also on a scholarship in the fine arts department of Teacher's College, Columbia University from 1899 to 1903. By 1902, however, she was employed as an instructor in cast and life drawing and color and costume design at the Art School of the New York Young Women's Christian Association where she would remain until 1919. During the first decade of the century, she painted landscapes, after which time, Turner specialized in flower and figure painting.
While she spent several summer in Europe with William Merritt Chase as well as on Prince Edward Island, Canada, Turner's principal association was with the art colony at Cragsmoor, New York. The home and studio she built there became her permanent summer residence until the middle of the 1920s. She did however tour Italy again with Chase during the summer of 1911, while in 1922 she made an extended visit to Paris and Spain with the artist Thalia Millet.
Turner closed her New York studio and returned to New Orleans in 1926. Although she traveled to Mexico in 1930, cataracts began to impair her vision. Painting into her nineties, Turner's deteriorating eyesight and loss of hearing affected her work in the latter years of her life.
