St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-08
POSING FOR ARTISTS.
The Boston Models Wear No Masks
Uhilo in This RIuSinaSS


While in This Business.
The artist to whom the novice applies
will probably ask her, first of all, says a
Boston letter to the Chicago Herald, if
she desires to pose for the nude or other
wise. 1t the former, she must submit
!, to his professional examination-a brief
glance is all that is necessary-and, if
found satisfactory, she obtains an en-
gagement or letter of recommends
ton, which will secure one for her in
the schools. If, however-as almost in
variably occurs-the applicant declares
that she would never, under any circum-
stances, consent to pose undraped, the
artist tells her frankly that she can never
make decent. wages as model other
wise. The draped figure is in small de-
mand at 25 cents an hour; the nude
readily commands 80 cents. For this
reason the young woman who starts in
with the strongest possible prejudiceS
on the subject is sure to abandon them
sooner or later as Improbable. After
two or three sittings she no longer feels
abashed by the gaze OF score or two OF
students busily engaged in transferring
to canvas their impressions Of her
charms. The fact that business is the
only object in view relieves the situa-
ton of any suggestion of improperly.
At the same time, the model is apt to
vigorously resent the intrusion of any
outsider while she is at work. During
the interval of rest allowed her she
wraps a sheet about her and trotS from
easel to easel, inspecting and criticising,
maybe the attempt of each. Contrary to
l,rar nj x.t,1n IaIz yt,n
nude in Boston do not wear masks.
Fifty cents an hour is a sufficiently high
rate of pay to seriously tempt a poor
girl, who can earn more by posing for a
class from O'Clock until 9 in the even
ing than she can make by long days
hard labor. Of such raw material
there is an unlimited supply in Boston.
In fact. it must be admitted that the
pretty women of this town are found in
the stores. And this is so because great
numbers of the shop girls here are not
native to the soil. Many come from
''down in Maine" Others are Irish
American that cross breed so prOduc-
tive of plump figures and pretty faces
and so Oh. These are the handsome
women of the modern Athens. The in
digenouS race does not go i'll much for
beauty.
OF the women who seek employment
as models comparatively few are avail
able. Artists are frequently bothered
half to death by persistent females who
are anxious to have their loneliness, be
it more or less, immortaliZed in colored
pigments. When-and such things often
happen-a stout and middle-aged
matron offers her services free of charge
as Venus or Diana, the unfortunate
knight of the palette is likely to have
some difficulty in declining the propo-
sition without giving Offense. For 1T
would really seem that woman, lovely
WOman-thOugh not necessarily dis
posed to Overrate her charms Of feature
lis invariably convinced that her figure
is absolute perfection. The models
trade has to be learned like any other.
To pose effectually requires practice.
1t is also natural gift to some extent.
American girls are the most awkward
of models. Young Irish women and
Jewesses will rarely consent to
pose. Many of the extra bal
let and chorus girls who work
on and Off at the local theaterS
exc out livelihood as models. The
two occupations, indeed, are very apt TO
go together in Boston. The managers
send their likeliest girls over to the art
schools, which return the compliment
in kind, thus illustrating the beauties OF
reciprocity and giving the public an OPP
portunity of studying the human form
divine under exceptionally favorable
conditions, both on canvas and upon the
stage. There are half dozen profess
siOnal male models here also, but no.
body takes any interest in them.