Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-19
HUMoRs OF ART LIFE AMONG FRENCH
PAINTERS.

dozen bearded, disheveled young men are
seated at table on which are the rem
nants OF meal and many empty bottles.
They all gaZ. In one direction and renew
their shouts, Bravo bravo!" a small.
pale-faced. pale-haired young man is dane
ing wildly at one end of the seualid room.
The son OF an animal painter, and intended
for the Church, it was only after some
three years Of study for the divine office
that ne suddenly wearied of the prospect
of slipper garnished curatedom and took
to his fathers trade. To this moment he
has not lost the effects of pious training,
and will discourse for hours on religion and
its intimate connection with the develop.
ment of art, paints Virgins and st. Johns,
and spends the evenings growing more and
more ploDs as he grows more and more be.
fuddled. Not that he is always thus,
for many evenings this warm sum.
mer weather he may be seen with
grisette-looking blonde on his arm
strolling toward the Square de Batignolles,
Che lives in,the Montmartre quarter), where
they will sit and talk till dark. Does he
lecture her on the comfort of religion, and
the subtle links between the divine and
beautiful in art! We can only say that
her eyes have almost the distant far.o eff
look that they have when she is posing
(she is an artists model) as Venus for a
crowd OF "rapins" at one of these huge
Paris steliers. Other nights he takes her
to dancing. place on the outer boulevards,
or to Builier's "a long way off. it is
true, but one must be amused" Bottom.
gate has a little studio of his own. A mar.
row street, a narrower doorway, and black
passage. Feel your way up the dark stair
case-up, up, cinqaiemei open the door. a
cold gray north hight mo wonder the artists
seek the comfort of the bottle sometimes
to wash away the memory OF their sunless
north sky, freezing them into gloom)
bed on the floor, easels, canvases and bare
walls; washstand and chair are wheeled
into the corner bedroom and studio in
one, sickly with paint odors.
But who are Bottomgate's friends I,
French and Americans, they are assembled
at farewell supper of bony, under. sized
New Highlander, who is returning to his
native country after three or four years
study in PARIS. Coming raw lad, fresh
from the cevere discipline of an Eastern
States home, he is leaving well certificated
IN the peches nagnons of his caDadrades, and
an exhibitor at the Salon. Ebin-e. ger
B-a-owers, as his friends delight to call him,
initiating his dry nasal twang-E bene2er
Bowers arrived in Paris utterly Ignorant of
the world In which he was to live SO long.
and having high ideal, almost a reverence
for art, was somewhat taken aback when
on entering the atelier he and another
,oHoeau, large headed, huge-lipped
French dwarf were set to fight duel with
IN hrfru
brush in color, red or green (com.
Elementary colors by an atelier joke),
and dabbed at his opponents face
or neck. hit in the eye or mouth by
either bringing mighty applause from the
crowd OF smoking blouses congregated
around the fencer victims. Ebenezer as
nouveau was obstreperous and logged, and
as punishment for his sundry com plants
and murmurings when ordered to 90 out
and fetch drinks for his numerous masters.
he was made to spend whole night boxed
up in the wooden pedestal of giant cast,
which was placed, extiDguisher- like, over
him, the cast on top to keep him fast in his
prison the while. Half.stihed, dusty,
dirty, but amenable at the next mornings
exit, from that day Ebenezer was con.
quered /; nay, even became jealous in his
office as nouveau. One afternoon, coming
back liquor laden, he was attacked by the
nouveaux of rival atelier near, and, after
prolonged struggle, robbed of his precious
burden. Arriving torn, breathless and
bleeding, he recounted his misfortunes to
his brethren, who rose en- masse, and,
quickly arming themselves with sticks,
umbrellas, fire irons and large easels, and
stools-these last as battering rams-lsd
by Ebenezer, made furious onslaught upon
the hated neighbors. The bitter clamor of
one hundred eager tongues, the stormy
thumpiDgs on the stout door of the
rival studio castle lasted for some half
hour, when, that hinged barring giving
way, the two wild hordes rushed at each
other with fury. Who can sing the deeds
of these Greeks and Trojans OF art? The
battle was long and bloody, and Ebenezer
hero. When the gendsrmes arrived and
took the rioters bodily off to the marie,
Ebenezer was last seen struggling, wrig-
Cling, and kicking in the arms OF gigantic
garden, who, with great difficulty, had
collared this torn, foaming, squirming,
swearing Yankee, still elinging to the frag-
ments Of a recaptured bottle. The two
ateliers were shut for six months after this
by order of the Minister, but Ebenezer
came back with an established reputation.
This spare American would not leave Bot
tomgste to dance alone to night were he
not tinged with sadness at parting, for he
much likes to "sling his toes, as he calls
it. Ebenezer at "Bullier's" is great
sight. Head up, eyes right, solemn of
strange ares, they being but hung loosely
e, H. 10
corners.
81 went to Builler's the other night, IS
{wrote Bottomgate, when he first came to
Paris, to the tutor-pries who watched over
his earlier years.; 81 went out of curiosi.
ty; you know one ought to see this sort of
thing while one is in Paris. Dining in the
QUARTER Latin at 10 o'clock, made my
way along the boulevards-slong, along.
until l saw Jardins in large gas letters,
and following the stream setting toward
the entrance, found myself elbowed by a
crowd of strange looking young men and
maidens. Soldiers watched the narrow
gateway. and while was waiting my turn
to pay / could see another crowd outside
under the gaEight casting envying glances
toward the etudiants and etuciidntes who did
not lack the necessary franc to pay for the
evenings amusement. gave up my stick,
squeezed through narrow turnstile, and
walking few steps, came to the top of a
wide descending staircase. A blazs of
light and the tops of many hats walking,
music, noise and dust. A widespread, low
rooted and iron spandrellsd region,
lighted by thousand lamps. To the left
the band played on platform to the
right sea of tables and chairs, under trees
hung with Chinese lanterns. In the midst
20 or 80 sets of quadrilies were going on 10
the music of '0livette. The men, gay
young fellows mostly, and lithe-limbed,
walk, amble, or frisk across and back with
their partners. without any sort of arrange
ment. They choose their own steps, their
own time, and seem to dance out of pure
exubersnce of spirits. Now and then a
bold dancer takes his partner by Der waist
and swings her round and round, instead of
the trip across, or they take few steps in
galop time in circle. The dance over,
the couples adjourn to the tables, the
savoiite places being in little grass banked