return RICHARD WATSON GILDER (1844-1909) by Cecilia Beaux (1855-1942) For nearly three decades Richard Watson Gilder, as editor-in-chief of the Century Monthly Magazine, held one of the most prestigious and influential positions in American publishing. He and his wife, artist Helena de Kay, also exerted considerable influence in New York's cultural circles and were known for their Friday-evening gatherings for artists, writers, and musicians at their Manhattan residence. Cecilia Beaux, who trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and at the Académies Julian and Colorossi in Paris, was a close friend of the Gilders. To contemporary viewers, this elegant and sympathetic rendering of the editor conveyed the close rapport between sitter and artist. Oil on canvas, 1902-1903 National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Gift of Rodman and Mary Ellen Gilder NPG.98.77 return