Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-11-01
FEMALE MODELS.
Whose Beautiful Nude Forms Bring In
Bright Shekels.
From the Cleveland Herald.

VI huiiDcl VI young iuch VINO iicCt Cf
cry Friday evening to draw from a nude
model, either a well-formed man or wo-
who, for the sum of s. to him or her
in hand, consents to stand in one position
for forty minutes, in installments of ten
minutes each. The life class in the acad-
envy heretofore has been using a celebrat-
ed athlete and runner as u model. His
chief excellence lies in the fact that his
muscles are SO well defined, not being
overlaid with fatty tissue. But an artist
who is only familiar with the masculine
anatomy would hardly be very well
equipped to do general work, so a female
model was procured. There would nat
uraIly be more or less difficulty about
getting anyone to pose, but in response
TO an sad" four girls made applications
in this case. 1t is said that there was
some considerable difficulty OF the part
of the committee in getting the model
chosen to understand that the drapery
would be very scanty-in fact would be
confined to a veil over her face, and there
was a good deal of humming and haw-
ing on both sides before a perfect under
standing was arrived at. Those who i'm
imagine; that there would be anything de-
moralizing in drawing from the nude
would be surprised at the apparent lack
of anything but an artistic interest among
the sketchers. Not a word was spoken
to her by any of the students, all the
necessary instructions being given by the
committee on posing. The model made
her entrance from the dressing-room,
or rather-well, let it go at that-clad in
q veil and rubber water proof. This
latter she removed, and stepped upon the
raised platform in paris ct naturalibaS be-
fore the gaze of the twenty students.
After a satisfactory position was found a
chalk mark was made around her feet Sc
that the place could be found again. The
position was maintained for about ten
minutes at a time, and about five minutes
was given for rest.
SIS it a hard work to poser"
sits about as hard work, physically, as
a woman can do" responded the artist in
response to inquiry of reporter. "Te
stand perfectly motionless without The
least change of position for ten minute:
at a time is fearfully hard work, but 5.
is pretty good pay for a hours work
"What's the good of studying from
the nude?"
"Oh, it is the best drill imaginable
No other work shows up defective draw
ing as does the human figure, and he wht
can draw from the nude successfully Cal
draw anything"
"Don't You think the effect bad?"
"Not a bit. Look at the young mel
who compose the class. ALI they are in
tent upon is the work they are doing. Their
is nothing d~emoralizing about the nude
figure boldly presented. A scanty dra'
perry is of twice as bad effect"
"Posing for models in this country il
nothing to what it is in Europe. Their
they make a regular business of it. Al
artist sees a pretty child on the street
and its mother finds out that it is hard t.
make a franc quicker than to bring tn
child to the studio to be painted from
The child grows up, and if it is goo'
looking, the chances are that the man o
the woman follows the business for
livelihood. In New York the professions
model may be found, but none here. /
is very difficult to procure models in thi
city. Sometimes an artist gets one of hi
own pupils to act as a model"
"Nude?"
"No, indeed. I've had two or thre
pupils sit for pictures, but they got aw
fully tired after one or two s~ittings."
ado ONE ever apply for positions a
models on account of love or admira
tion?"
"I've often heard of such cases, but
never, personally, knew of but one. Sh
understood, she said, when she came in t
see me, that the class wanted a mode
She was a very handsome girl and be
longs to al excellent family on the Yves
side. l said we did, but, said I, you I'm
derstand how you are to be dressed, Q
rather how you are not to be dressedi
Oh, yes; she understood perfectly
WELL said 1, have you q good form:
and that girl was actually so popula
with herself that she said, you ma
judge for yourself She went into tn
inner studio and got herself ready an,
came Out much in the attitude of Venu
from the bath. Up to that she had bee
carried along by self-admiration and tn
spirit of brayado, but she suddenly Grim
soned up and broke for the dressin
room, got on her things in a lfghtnin
hurry, and few out of the room befor
you could say scat and that's the las
time she has ever been in my studio
She's married now, 1 believe. I don
believe she was a bad character. 1 thin
she was-just as l said-in love with he
own FORM"
"Aren't female models, as a rule, frol
the lower classes and OF a low soci;
condition."
"Not necessarily. l know of a youn
woman of a good family but poor, VIII
needed money to continue her music;
studies, so that she could support her
self and her widowed mother by teaching
She had a beautiful form, and she use
to pose before the life class. She wa
always masked and accompanied by he
mother. She was as pure q woman 8
ever lived. In Europe it is, as q rule
different. There, by a process of natur,
selection, the poorer classes are as preti
and as well-formed as the rich or the nc
bility. Children are bred up to act 8
models and for generations sometime
the profession is kept up. The peasar
try of the old country, and especial
Italy, have not the rock-bound principle
Of virtue that prevail in America. a
classes are peryaded with a laxity of mo-
ais, and 1t is not very hard to form d
idea of the relations which exist betwee
artist and model"
ssEvery apparently easy way of earnir
q living has some disease peculiar to /
what has the life of a model"
"Consumption. Nine-tenths of the
die oft. They are exposed to draugh
without sufficient clothing or witho
any al ali and catch cold continual