The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-08-18
Models vs.. Modesty.

To the sincere student of art there is
no such thing a. nakedness The hui
man figure is the chef-d'Guvre of the
Great Artists hand, and suggests no
more impure thoughts to the artist than
does the same figure sculptured in
stone. In the KIug studio, one Of the
best in Paris, the father guides his
daughters hand as she studies from the
white Image" naked as the eternal
innocence, before them. The artist
Crank taught his own daughter from
the nude model among her brothers
Another artist, whose fame is wide, but
whose name | cannot mention. forgets
the woman in the model when he draws
from the naked figure of his own
daughter. In the Julien class last year
"a real romance sprang up before the
human statue, which resulted in the
marriage of II modest American girl,
daughter of one of our best known ar
fists, to the honorable and high minded
Spaniard, NJ. Ricardo dc los Rios. who
sat beside her. And since then. Mss
Ayrton, whose picture. "a Corner of
My Studio" hangs now upon the walls
of the salon, has given her hand and
her pure heart to the wealthy and aris-
tocratic amateur, an officer in the Eng
Indebtedness, not knowing that 1t was
indecency, beside her in the Julien
class. In that class mother and
daughter have worked, and, perhaps,
are now working together. Nay, more.
At one time young French artist, his
wife, and his mother worked together
most jealous from the Dreadful
Thins" its Maker was guilty of
great improperly Of creating without
clothes-thc Dreadful Thing to whose
dreadfulness the artistic fervor blinded
them and u white halo of purity shut
them out.
Modes.y is only another word for
habit. The French woman displays
her legs on muddy pavements in . way
that make English and American wo-
men hang't their heads with shame. The
English woman hides her legs. but she
exposes her breast in crowded assem-
blies with freedom that strikes French
aud Americans with disgust. The
American hides both breast and ankles,
but very many young girls show them
selves freely alone in the street omni-
buses, cars and ferry-boats in q way
that fills Europeans with horror at their
immodesty In the days when the
broad bandeaux Of hair was worn IT
was immodest for an ear to be seen. /
have seen in . fashion article of an
American publication of years ago, the
assertion that no modest woman could
feel at ease with her hair behind her
ears. African travellers who only see
the human figure in its natural condi-
,ion, affirm that the sight of the naked
form Of the native women has not the
slightest disturbing effect upon the im-
agination. But only let those same
forms be partially dressed, and the i'm
modesty of the revealed portions is evi-
dent as were they exposed 10y civilized
women. The habit of looking oontinu.
ally upon the human figure by the ar
,ist robs it utterly Of the impure associ-
ations that haunt the mind Of the
Philistine The most reckless student
Of the lEco!e des Beaux Arts forgets
the naked woman in the beautiful lines
and curves aud color of the model be-
fore him. That modesty is only habit,
the innocence of childen, who have no
modcs.y till they begin to lose their
virgin innocence of thought. plainly
shows. Never. never. never let your
BROTHER see you in your c6cmise." said
modest governess to her little pupil,
whom she found one day dancing about
in her one garment among her brothers
"You cannot come in" cried the little
girl next day, when her baby brothe'
tried 10 enter her room. You cannot
; come in. for am In my cheinise- A
moment after she opened the door
saying snow you can como IN. she
had dropped off tie immodest garment
and stood in her angelic modesty, make
as Eve before SIN came into the world