Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-25
!on. and certainty no. hali 50 disagree..

posing. 1neIc are over ~vV pecpic III
New York who pose more or less 10 q
professional way. Many OF these are men,
. and come from the foreign quarters
French, Germans, Italians, Poles and
others. They get from 30 cents to 81
an hour, OF perhaps 81. or $500
q sitting. The female models are
harder 70 secure, and command high
! er prices, according TO their good
: points. never sit for less than 81, and
, very often receive IS for a sitting. Some
times | sit twice day, but never more
than that. The demand for good models
In this city Is growing. The artists have
increased, both In numbers and means,
and can better afford to hire models.
} And besides, figure painting Is much more
, popular than landscape work, and that re-
, quires models. The life classes at the
J art schools are very large, but / have
never posed before them more than once
or twice, as the pay is not as good as in
private studios"
"What are the ages of the models?"
"They range from babyhood to old
age. Babies are secured without any
trouble; but they don't realize the dignity
Of the profession and are apt to make
things lively in the studios unless ac-
companied by their mammas. The Ger
mans OF the East side furnish most of the
old men and women. But youth and
good looks are just as popular on canvas
as they are In the world at large, and for
such palntings-I think they call 1t the
French school-young women models
are most wanted. Few women retain
perfection of form beyond thirty.
Some models sit simply for their arms
and hands, some for the heads
i al Tor no
the head. II is very hard to find anyone
who combines both good head and good
| figure. Perhaps / am fortunate in that
respect. AT any rate, have all the en-
gsgements l care to I'll, except in the
slack months from July to October.
''Is not the posing very fatiguing?"
"That depends on the position. have
stood for an hour and a quarter in hard
attitude without resting 1t is rarely,
though, that have to hold my arms out
or do anything OF that sort. But some
artists are very hard on their models
There is one figure painter, with studio
on Broadway, who kept model la one
position for eight hours, so as not to dis
turb the drapery. lie brought her re-
freshments and fed her with his own
hands, but under no circumstances would
he permit her to change her position.
think he was painting picture of Cleo
patra as she held the wasp to her breast
The poses at the life classes at
the art schools are generally more
trying than in the studios, and less rest
is allowed. But no model can retain an
attitude of violent action for any length
Of time. The strain upon the muscles is
too great. See how long you can hold
out your arm at full length, and you will
know how 1t is yourself The attitude
in violent action soon becomes unnatu-
raj, and then 1t Is useless to the stu
dents"
"Do you not find long continued nude
posing dangerous to the health2"
"No, do not think that we are more
subject to colds or chills or other diseases
than people in general. There Is one thing
In our favor, you know. We must be in
pretty fair state OF health or we would
not be In good condition for posing at all.
The finest torso will lose its grace in sick
ness, and 1t is difficult to recover the fine
contour and lissomeness OF figure when
once 1t has been lost. The temperature
OF the room in which we sit is generally
varied as we want 1t. Some are comfort
able at 90 or 60 degrees, and others
SILVER at rs degrees. For my
part, 20 degrees ls quite warm
enough. Most of the studios
have curtained recess or small dressing
room, where we can remove our garments
and put on the draperles, II any are re-
quired. And we always have cloak or
blanket at hand to cover ourselves with
when resting OF course we gradually
get used to being nude for hours at a
time, and are less liable to taking cold
than novice would be. Besides, most
artists are very kind and considerate, and
provide hot tea or coffee, and sometimes
just wee DIT Of punch TO warm US up
during long sitting.
81 suppose you have often seen your
self on the walls of the exhbltion2"
EYES, and 1t was very odd sensation to
me at first. Sometimes like my appear
ance and sometimes don't. Sometimes,
too, have been hardly able to recognize
myself, as an artist with one touch OF the
brush can change the whole expression of
a face. But don't go to the exhibition
very much, for am always afraid that
some one will recognize the likeness II
there happen to be on the walls any pic
lures for which l have sat.''
"Can you tell me some Of the charac-
tiers for which you have sat2n
"Oh, the list Is too long. have bee n
a queen and beggar girl have stood
under the trees OF Arden as Rosalind,
and as Portla have laid down the law be-
! fore the doges OF Venice. You will fnd
features not unlike mine on one or two
well-known paintings that have fallen into
the hands OF those vandals, the cigarette
manufacturers. There have the pleas
ure OF finding myself pulling cigarette,
a little vice detest, Ihave never sat for
Venus, but once posed for Diana, |
have often wanted 70 sit for an Anne
,, Bolyn or Joan dare, but have
never been invited to do so as
, yet. Most OF my characters have
] been OF the modern romance school.
There number OF Moorish pictures
/, painted by Mr., H. (Humphrey?) nln
, which have had the pleasure OF reclin,
+, ing. Indeed, there was SO much OF this
work that got used 10 luxurious divans
and the picturesque garb Of the Moorish
women. Perhaps the easiest posing
,, ever had to do was for a picture OF the
! sleeping beauty. The artist wanted me
~.