River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-09-06
The Oueerest Strike Yet.

oAAAhNH hdo Just ONNullCu III lllS civ
among female models for artists. The
trouble began in the studio of we'll
known uptown artist, Frenchman. He
has lately been employed on a tableau,
whose subject Is, "Indian Girls Surprised
at a Bath by a Spanish Explorer" For
models he employed three of the most
famous of the class OF the city, women
well known in all the studios, and who
are reputed to be the most perfect in point
of physical development of the models
in the United States The poise one
of these fair figurantes was called upon
to assume was particularly arduous one
requiring a muscular strain and a con-
tracted position of the most difficult and
painful nature. After the second sitting
she revOlted, and refused to continue I'm
less her pay,which was $3.50 an hour, was
increased to So. Her companions Sc
cOnded her in the demand. The artist
was in despair. Their figures were al
ready outlined upon the canvas in a group
which he could not hope to obtain by
any other models. The price he was al
ready paying them was a good one. They
sat four hours a day each, which was an
outlay of 500 large sum for a member
ford to increase it, and all his appeals to
them were utterly in vain. They even
rejected a compromise of S215, and fl
nally left the studio in a body. That
evening the indignant ladies circulated
among their professional friends, and
next day a general war was declared
against the artistic oppressors. The Bo-
hemians of the brush took the matter
very coolly however. They smoked their
pipes, drank their beer, and made sketch
es for new pictures for several days, turn
ing deaf ear to the fair strikers claims.
Finally a deputation of the models,
numbering every one of them, waited on
/ the French artist in body. Assured of
the cooperation of his fellow artists, the
gallant Frenchman told them smilingly
that he would not pay a single cent more
I than he had hitherto been doing. The
seven or eight other resident artists who
4 have professional use for posturants were
visited with the same result. ave are
all going out of town soon, anyhow" said
the principal of them, blandlv, land you
will have time to think the matter over at
leisure. Try glass of wine. MOI Then
good afternoon" His words carried con-
! viction to the souls of the strikers. The
result is easily foreseen. Next day the
Z three Indian girls returned to their posts,
and before night the strike was at an end.
| The only participants in it had been of
\ the gentler sex, and all of that independ-
ent class whose only resource is the pat
rOnage of the painters. The male mod
els and the females employed at the pub
/ lie ar. schools here are perfectly centent-
ed with their lot.
There are in all in this city about thirty
people, men and women, who make liv-
/ ing rs nude models for the various artists
and art schools here, and perhaps ten
more who serve as "draped mod
els" These latter are, with one ex-
ception, all women. This exception is an
/ Italian, middle-aged man, with crisp,
+ black beard, a handsome face, and a
meagre but commanding figure, who has
served as the original for more brigands,
+ trappers, guerrillas, soldiers, and other
characteristic embodiments than it would
L, easy to mention. There are two dis
tinct classes OF models: those who figure
+ In the art schools, and those who only
[ pose for private parties.
The pay of the models varies from
$50 to 81. The lowest prices are paid
+ TO men, and the least gain comes from the
great art schools, where good models are
f employed from years end to years end.
} The models of this class, however, usually
( find employment in private studios dur
{ ing their spare hours. which are many.
for the longest time any one of them
serves in a regular sitting Is three hours.
! The weekly gains of model are estimated
! at from SEQ to $50. They would make
much more il the artists here desired
them more frequently, but the painting
Z from a model Is an expensive process, and
4 the painters rarely desire more than one
OF two SittingS week, or else only
work for a week at a stretch from life, and
Y then diminish the posturants until 4 new
subject renders their use necessary.
/ With considerable difficulty the Mercury
I reporter ascertained the address of the
I lady who had led the revolt in the French
mans studio, and called upon her. He
I found her at home in a stylish Twenty
third street clearinghouse. In person
she Is a young woman of %, of remark
ably fine development, and a perfect
brunette. Quiet and ladylike in manner.
one would never hsvesuspectedi in cashual
+ intercourse with her that she gained a
T livelihood by exhibiting herself TO an ar
tistic eye for reproduction and parade be
I fore the public. Her version of the strike
is a characteristic one.
Il have been a model for six years.
she said, ''and have sat for nearly every
artist in the city. and for more than one
in Philadelphia, Boston. and Chicago.
began as a draped model for one of Frank
Leslie's artists Mr.. John Hyde, who got
me place at the Academy of Design,
where posed for nearly two years. For
the first few years ii was horrible work
and almost died of shame and NORTH
cation. Then. however, | got used 10 il.
was making good living and was civ
lily treated. Besides during all that time
no one ever saw my face. They allow a
female model there 10 wear mask. and
-