The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-18

mutual friends which wished them to see. l
had forgotten ali about the invitation until one
afternoon IN the early part of November
when the lady called. l was alone. l
noticed her curiosity led her from room
to ROOM have, as you see, three-and the
drift of her questions seemed to indicate a
curiosity, a desire to know the inner workings of
my art, and the entire scope of her exploration
was disclosed when she asked if ] ever employed
models. / told her. "Oh, yes" and showed her
several sketches-studies made from living
models. 1t took her some time to work up to IT;
but to make a long story short, before she left
she sought and obtained, you may we'll imagine
permission to pose as a model, without money
and without price. She came at an appointed
time. She is woman now-perhaps thlrty-two
years of age-not particularly attractive IN lace
but with figure approaching perfection. VI II
L have made probably twenty sketches; here they
are"
DO you mean that this figure precisely as
| see lt-absolutely naked-is as she stoodP
Precisely; why notl'
well, here is one with shawl thrown over
the shoulders and partly concealing the face.
nothing but the eve and forehead being dis
closed the rest of the fgurely entirely nude; was
she sol"
Certainly"
The artist then went on, showing sketch after
sketch where this woman had chosen her own
poses For instance, in one she had thrown her
arms back, standing full length, feet close to-
g5ther and her arms thrown back of her head,
the head itself thrown back. In others she had
initiated the Roman wrestlers. One particu
larry pretty one was that of the woman stand
ing, her head up, the right arm raised and hold
Ing tube of some kind from which she had
blown soap bubbles. This last was in perfect
profile, the outline of the figure being graceful
to degree Continuing the story, the artist
said: THE one condition imposed by this lady
was that should say nothing about the matter
| to any one living while she her part agreed
to come as often as would study her, she TO
find abundant satisfaction and compensation in
the pleasure derived from my critical analysis
of her figure in the various poses she saw tit to
assume My brother artists have repeatedly asked
who my model was, and if they couldn't get her.
II she were poor woman she could easily make
from So to $40 a day several months in every
year; but, as said before, her husband is very
wealthy member of prominent dry goods firm,
and he would as soon think that his child in
heaven would come down to pose as an angel as
that his wife would visit my studio for this pur
pose. | have expostUlated with her. but she is
frantic on the subject of admiration, and in
varabiy says: "Well. if you insist upon your
suggestion the result will be that / shall go to
some other artist. | have done what wanted
to do for years. l am entirely satified; what
earthly objection can you find to itF VOLTA
tout"
Odd as may seem, one of the prettiest models
IN New Yorkis colored girl who lives in Gonkers.
She is perfect type of Africas golden sand
with low forhead jet black eyes expanded
nostrils, thick lips, white teeth but for all that
the most attractive in appearance, with figure
that is statuesquely superb She stands straight
as an arrow, is twenty years old, weighs 135
pounds and is as full of life and blood and
''go' as it is possible for
human nature to be. Her limbs are like marble,
her bust as if carved in stone She has never
known sick day in her life, and laughs at the
idea of a beau, Irritation, a marriage; her
sole duty, she conceives it to be- is to secure
| the comfortable support of an aged father and
| mother and little lame sister. She charges 81
an hour for limb pose, 81 so an hour for per
fecty nude pose During the months of Octo-
| ber November, and thence to May, she read
lily makes from S. to $40 day five days in the
week. She lives in modest home quite near
the town of Yonkers, is well known to the con
ductors of the road and the captains of the
| steamboats,, conducts herself with exemplary
| propfiety, has no traits of prudery in her com
| position and means business" all the time. Her
| story suggests that reproduction OF the lives
and sacrifices Of the female models of New York
and vicinity would make narrative more inter
esting than the iiveiest and most exciting TO
nance ever born in the brain of curious man.