The Dickinson press., 1888-03-10
ARTISTS AND MODELS.
A JOURNALISTS FIRST EXPERIENCE
IN A DIFFICULT POSE.


Hard Work and Sometimes Pretty Good
Iay-Trying to h Musclcs--Thc Pro-
rrssion i'll paris-Thc Studios of New
York City.
j. was Simulv Il cheerful room, full of light
and unorna.lt7nted ave by n few clever
sketches and one painting of more than aver
age merit. Near the window was Il table
holding IL board to which Il piece of white
paper waStack",l. At the table was a young
mnM whose hair. eyes and skin showed q
Latin criSin-a dreamy enough fellow, when
idle. hut as lively. energetic and practical
from 3 Il. III. until I p. III. in the afternoon as
Il druggists clerk. In one corner was Il hide
Gus lay figure, in the centre of the room
standing OF IL trunk, with legs apart, chin i'll
the air and one hand Observation-Disclosures and
statuesquc-tlp writer.
'.ls posing hnrtl:" l had asked unwarily.
"SurpoS. you try it." said the artist; and I
did. l was supposed to he grasping the hand
of n tall friend. The artist had put me on
the trunk, in order, he said, to get the hang
of my trousers. Now, keep STILL" said he.
1t seemed easy enough at first to stand up
there and do nothing.
How much do models get for this" 1
asked.
ut depends upon the model. Some get So
Il day, some as much as that an hour"
pretty good business" l remarked. 1
coul,l $40 his face in the mirror, and at this
he smiled quietly. Every now and then lie
would slut his eyes and look at me APP
parrntly through the lashes. ''What are you
squirting at me that way for!"
"Procc~, of climination," he said; scut-
ting off everything but YOU figure Then
he took up his pencil and tool sight at me.
'tictting your proportions" he explained.
"Havcn't you moved!' lie added abruptly.
My left foot was going to sleep and l had
shifted my weight to the other. You see"
went on the artist after l had shifted back,
"vou confuse shadows, outlines, everything
by changing your position"
eco alcad,n l said, gritting my teeth.
"Wcll, don't move and I'll give you n rest
presently" 1 counted the figures on the
wall apcr as far as l could see them without
turning my head. l counted 900 backward,
an imaginary flock of sheep. l tried the
mind cure, but 1 grew faint. Something
moist began to trickle down my spinal
column. My arm was paralyzcd.
"You needn't hold that arm out now," re-
marked the artist at length. 81 forgot to
tell YOU" Forgot to tell me! Good Heavens!
lie had settled to work now i'll earnest. He
was getting enthusiastic. His face grew
stern and business like, and he forgot that l
WAS posing for pleasure.
Chin up" lie called out sharply. whats
the matter with those knees! Look pleasant!
S!lck out that arm again. Don't move for
ycar life Every time Inc squinted he looked
like e ficnd.
s.'tpm:y, now" l stcadied myself with one
more effort, but it was no use. lhad the hip
| disease, spinal meningitis and diphtleria,
| arl general paralysis had set in. | couldn't
stand it longer, and down l collapsed on tho
trunk. Tie artist tlourishcd his pencil in
triumph. just i'll time" he cried. I've
.,pt you." Then he laughed.
"ls posing halM." lie asked, pleasantly.
~"i"u'vc been up thirty-tliree minutes in Il
i@d Ipsition-lretty gool for n first trial.
SoN!" mr,lrls can pose for an hour i'll a diff
cul, position without moving a muscle, but
it takes training, and it's hard work.
ut is hard for people TO understand no
continued. presently, that posing isso purely
Il matter of business with artist and model
that all other suggestions are entirely absent.
In Paris posing is more of IL profession thun
it is here; naturally, because the demand
| there for models is greater and has existed
longer. Every Monday morning at the art
schools tile models present themselves for
employment. a model must not only have q
good figure, but she ought to be young and
unmarried.
"Ycs. there IRE lots Of handsome studios
here i'll New York. he said, between tho
pulfs of n cigarette. ''Thc hope of the young
artists life is IL studio. He thinks he can do
nothing until he has curtains, rugs, ,laggers
and a thousand knickknacks which he fancies
indispensable. Now, all that is an illusion.
The mcn of the strongest imaginative temper
amcnts prefer the plainest surroundings pos
siblc. Ii one's mind is concentrated i'll his
work he ought to be conscious of nothing
else, as old st. Bernard could travel all
day by Il lake and never see it. Goethe
worked in q little narrow room with two
tiny windows, one plain table, one plain,
hard chair; IL long shelf for books, a closet
attached for bedroom, which held one
chair, a little washing table and a
sponge. You would fancy that Dore
couldn't have too much gorgeousness about
him, and yet his studio contained on" l
t; bic, covered with tubes of oil color,
two cheap chairs. Turner could work iii (,
room that had a locked door and n kesr ";.
the inside. Dickens wrote i'll n cheerf
comfortable room, and he always had funny
little bronze images on the table. Scott
wrote anywhere, even i'll the family sitting
room, with q hubbuh of conversation about
him.
sit isn't theory Alone" he concluded jo
cosaly, shat keeps me III these quarters. II
is not because l think these surroundings are
a, -. - go. Gan ~. 4,