Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-01
NUDE MODELS.
Some ct the Mysteries of The studio
Unveiled.


well known fact that women of loose char
acter will not sit rs models One of the
most perfectly formed women | ever saw
was one of easy virtue in New York city.
The artist offered her every inducement to
act as model, but she would never con.
sent. Such women are always suspicious;
they fear you are going to expose or
betray them in some way. 1t is the rare
exception when a woman of this character
can be induced TO enter the studio. Not
inirequently ladies OF wealth and fashion
permit the artist to reproduce their sym
lnetry in marble or upon the canvas.
Even royalty has erayed the boon of
having its shapely beauty thus given TO all
posterity 1t ia fact of history the sister
of Napoleon desired that Oanova should
reproduce her lovely form in marble. The
celebrated sculptor represented to her that
this would not be done unless, forgetting
her royal station, she should appear before
him in the nudity of model. The
princess consented, and, Invested OF all
covering, stood in the presence of the
great master. and the result was Uanova's
immortal Venus Victrix perfect figure,
in which the exquisite delopment of the
royal lady's form ia destined to live for all
time. When the ladies Of the court saw
the superb statue they quietly limited
that the princess had been the model;
the royal LADY, reply was, with charm 4
ing smile 'The room was quite warm
enough" Titian's model was his
daughter, fair young girl, who at the
age of l6 had the symmetry of Hebe.
Raphseps model was his mistress, the
"Fornarina," golden haired woman
whom he never married, but whom he
never immortalized in all his representa-
tons OF feminine beauty. The desire to
be thus embalmed to all futurity exists
here in America as elsewhere. In fact
this has become craze In New
York city. / know OF number
less instances where ladies of the
hdWt ton have volunteered to act as
models. Ii is point of honors with artist
never to reproduce the face of model
unless she be a professional one. Instances
of artists falling in love with their models
have been quoted time and again. Larkin
Mead, the sculptor, set out from Vermont
mere boy, and went to Italy to perfect
himself in his art. His model at Florence
was lovely young girl several years his
Junior. Her exquisite figure was repro
duced in all of his earlier works. She
proved girl of estimable qualities. He fell
in love with her, and asked her to marry
him. She declined on the ground that he
was her social and intellectual superior.
He sent her to convent and she was an
educated woman in three years time They
were married and Mrs Larkin Mead is to-
day one of the loveliest and most
charming ornament OF Florentine society.
Artists, however, are usually very
Indifferent to the charms of their models,
except so far as they contribute
toward identifying the canvas. But
you cannot make an artists wife
believe this. An artists wife ought never
to be initiated into the secrets OF the
studio A Partisan sculptor recently
married young and beautiful wife. Dur
ing the honeymoon she surprised him one
day in his studio with a nude model posed
before him. Her modification and anger
knew no bounds. She considered it
almost infdelity that her Gustave should
presume TO fix his eyes on the glowing
charms of any other woman. A stormy
scene ensued, which ended in q compro-
mise to the effect that the wife was to
come every day and occupy a seat behind
q screen from which she could see every
thing that TRANSFERRED in the studio. This
arrangement, however, was soon broken
by the wife's declaring that she could not
and would not permit her husband to have
anything to do with strange women; that
she would be his model Rverse as she was
to what her sense of womanly modesty
regarded as an immodest display. The
artist was delighted; his wife happened to
be superbly formed, and she is now the
only model admitted to his studio"
"What is the age of the average
model?'
''That is a hard question to answer.
Artists do not consult age, but develop
ment. Some women are fully developed
at lS,some at %, and others not until they
reach 80 years of age. In Italy and
France models are much younger than
they are in this country, for the simple
reason that women of tlat climate attain
their full physical development much
younger than they do here. Well, sup
pose the age of the average American
model is % years. Many OF our girls
develop at l6, but it is hard to get an
American girl of that age to act as
model. In the large cities models are fire.
quentiy compelled by poverty to follow
that profession, if profession it may be
called. On my return from Europe
became member of the Artistic League,
in New York city, and had studio next
to Hartley, the soul ptor. While looking
about for a model 1 heard of lady who
had the reputation of having a wonder
fully fine figure, and who would be apt to
be willing to serve as model, since she
was very poor and out of employment.
sent her request to call at my studio.
She did 50 accompanied by friend, q
1y I,,A
lovely face. The lady | had sent
my card to told me she had Just
found employment and could not there
fore serve me, but her friend, whom she
introduced as Mrs Wood, had consented
to act as model for me. provided she
proved satisfactory. / told Mrs. Wood
that it was customary for artists to inspect
their models before engaging their ser.
vices would she retire to the ante. room
and remove her apparel She said she
would return the next day and submit tc
The inspection. Next day she returned,
looking very pale and nervous. She
evidently dreaded the ordeal of appearing
in the nude state. Hartley was in the
studio with me, and we spoke kindly tC
her and bade her dismiss her agitation
When she stepped out Of the 4nte-roon
she presented picture that was a feast II
our eyes; we agreed that she was one O.
the most perfectly formed creatures that
we had ever seen. Her neck. shoulders
tarsi and limbs were models of themselves
while her face in womanly sweetness an,
artistic regularity was matclless. Whel
she had once more attired herself toll,
her it would be week before | should b
able TO give her employment. When sh
heard this her eyes filled with tears.
saw there was some grief troubling he1
| asked her if she was sutTering-if sh
needed money. Then she told me he
story she was the wife Of a gentlema
who for several years ha
been a correspondent in Europe hi
health had become impaired he had II
turned home and was now lying sick i
bed at their boarding place. They wer
very poor and the wife had determined
do something for their support. She WEI
as she told her story, and | saw she wi
sincere. l gave her $40 as a loan an
sent her with a note of introduction
Church, the artist, knowing that he woul
give her employment IN his young ladie
class. l was successful in my effort
Church was delighted with her figure, az
for some time she made her 81 day 30
ing as model before the ladies' class 81
retained nom de pllBSG Of Mrs Wood, az
her identity was never discovered. III
ladies tried in every way to discover wi
she was, but never succeeded She alwa
appeared before them in nude state, al
after her studies she would slip into h
room and dress and slip out of the bull
ing surreptitiously. She became q pop