, 1886-11-16
AMERICAN FIGURES.
WHAT A NOTED SCULPTOR SAYS
CONCERNING MALE MODELS.

The Occupation of Model Too Passive to
BE Attractive to Nativcs-Great Change
for the Better in tho American Ply
siquc.
A famous American sculptor adver-
tised, n few days ago, for II male model.
OF course, il he had wanted n female
model he would not nave had 10 take
that trouble, for female models are 50
abundant that il is scarcely hyperbolical
to say ''the woods are full of them" But
are there no professional male modelsy
"Oh, yes the sculptor said, There are
twelve or fifteen Of them in New York.
/ know them all, and if there happens to
he one among them who is exactly what
| want when I have "A statue to model, /
Of course cngage him. But my experience
has been TINT | must go into fresh fields
TO find Ii | want. So | advertise, and
it is astonishing what n numbe of men
offer themselves in response, men of fine
figures, OF various types. OF course |
am looking for "A particular type. not
simply for n fine figure, and, conse-
quently, have to 60 over n large field
sometimes before ! find just the one who
meets my requirements. "Amcrican
men have ms fine figures as American
women, but it is seldom that they will
accept Of the profession Of II model. II
is too passive an occupation, md its
gains are too small for it to be attractive
To them. So | am most likely To nave 10
find my men among the Irish or Germans,
who are, in my opinion, the best models.
ont Of n great number who caInc in an
swcr to my advertisement the other
day, | selected two, neither Of whom Ind
ever served MS IA model before. One is Of
Scotch descent, the other German One
of them has, | believe. no other occupa-
ton, and the other is in n business that
will not he likely to take much Of his
time in the winter months, The majority
Of the professional male models are Ger
man or Irish, though there are two or
three Frenchmcn or Italians among
them, who are rather open 10 the suspi-
cion of being played out models from the
other side.
PAINTERS AND %sCULPToHs.
The same models, of course, serve for
both painters md sculptors. The former
require them for shorter time han the
sculptors do, and so customarily engage
them by the hour, paying them 80 or ~
cents per hour. The sculptors engage for
longer time and pay lower rates. | pay
my men Sl2 n week each, but then | EN-
ploy them during six months or II year.
In that time there are occasionally weeks
in which | am out of town, or not work
ing, when the model does not even have
to put in nj appearance, but his salary
goes right along all the same. 1t is just
that it should, for it is not his fault that
| am not Mt work.
'"The hours of work ARE long. but the
toll, for the model, is ma lie MS easy ms
possible. | I'm an early riser and n hard
worker. | begin Mt & o'clock, and work,
ms n rule, until 8. During ali that time
the model is supposed to be with me.
The duration of his maintenance Of a
pose is from half nm % to nm hour,
according To its difficulty md the strain
1t is upon him. Then he has II good rest,
us long ms may be necessary. Fifteen
minutes to half an hour is generally
sufficient. The posing is all done nude,
or nearly all, for even though it may he
|purposcd to clothe the figure in modern
garb, in the statue the modelling of the
figure nude is n primary necessity to have
its proportions accurate. There is IA grent
deal of difference among models in the
mntter of posing. Some, whose figures
meet NIL the requirements, are quite use
less, either bccausc of nervousness or
l~nziness, while others nave the will force
to hold an attitude unswervingly rs long
ms may he necessary, even in very diff.
cult positions.
INTEILIGENT AND SELFlRESPECTTNG.
81 haV never hnd n b-a-a-n-d man mp
ply for an engagement as n model. Those
who offer their services ARE all clearly in
tclligcnt, self respecting men. No, | do
not, as II rule, look for men who have by
training md exercise given IN abnormal
development to their muscles. The
natural development is whnt | require.
The extreme gymnastic development goes
.aTn.U. tI. .rtt.Fta IL L. frtt. tl.tt lAt..n
of the finest figures | have known he
longcd To good athletes, but they were
too high priced. Too high Il muscular
development is likely to result in pro-
ducing merely an interesting anatomical
study, not artistic perfection Of beauty.
The athletic development of the Greeks
and Romans, If we may judge by their
statues, did not produce such develop
ment rs we see among our traincd muscu-
la Christians of to day.
eyes, | think that there t. = lnencss
about the American figure .rSoth male
and female, that is not g. .ihed in amy
other people in the world. | mean that
they seem to have n thoroughbred strain
in them. There has been II great change
for the better in the American physique
in the last twenty-five or thirty ycars.
That long ago il seemed to be the fashion
among American mothers 10 nave pale
and delicate children-possihly because
they thought they looked aristocratic
That way; but now they feed their hill
drcn better, with bone and muscle mak
ing food, II the little ones seem n
different race~of beings. &c to our schools
and colleges TO day and you will find
them filled with strong, vigorous,
healthy, active, clean limbcd Youngsters.
Look at the young men and women ON
our streets, and see what tall, fine figures
they have. | tell you they are simply
splendid. And We have to thank for it
the reform in our habits of eating and
outdoor exercise in the highest degree.
The English figure is large and robust,
hut heavier, with coarscr lines, and will
not compare favorably with the Amcri-
can have no use for English models.
New York sun