Lot 24: Jean (John) Paul Selinger (1850-1909), American

Jean (John) Paul Selinger (1850-1909), American
PORTRAIT OF CHEIRO (COUNT LOUIS HAMON (1866-1936)); Oil on canvas; signed and dated in the inscription to the sitter: "Compliments of Paul Selinger - 1895" along the bottom edge; signed and dedicated to Cheiro and dated at Boston in 1895 to the stretcher
24" x 20" - 61 x 50.8 cm.

Provenance: Collection of the sitter Cheiro;
Private Collection, Canada
Note: Born in Ireland as William John Warner, Cheiro was a famous occult figure of the early 20th Century who used palmistry, astrology and numerology to make predictions including world events. He wrote books under his pseudonym such as his "Comforts Palmistry Guide". He spent the remaining years of his life in Hollywood making as many as 20 predictions per day for famous European and American clients such as Mark Twain, Sarah Bernhardt, Oscar Wilde and others before his death in 1936.