St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-03

N\W as though gazing
WIZ into futurity, and
she has gazed
just in the same way for the past 2.50O
years, for that is the length of time
VIII CHI counts the years OF the sculptured
girl. The marble is old and
yellow, stained and scanned with
tines record, but the eXtr enc
antiquity renders it doubly val
liable financially, $4,000 has been
offered by all art cOnnOiSSeur for the
perfect piece of sculpture, but the If
fanys are holding it for $4,000. A big
sum, but it is worth it, more than worth
it, The pose, the face, the form, are
perfection itself. One cannot help
wondering VINO the Greek maiden was
who $500 years ago posed for this par
ticular work of art. She must have
been ideally beautiful, for the model
must have been reality certain. Tor no
artist can portray without one. All the
centuries that have rolled by since the
original became dust have been power
less to efface the immortal beauty of the
marble maid. But l can't help wonder
ing Just who this Greek girl was one
sees in that statue, and what her history
and her fate were. What a model she
was, to be sure"
The remarks of this man called to the
minds of listeners the subject of models
and the idea most people have OF them.
There is always sOupcon OF sensation,
a decided flavor of what Americans
call "Frenchiness" that strikes most
people when they hear of an artists
model, and yet in full
Unvarnfshed Truth
and the white light of reality, there is
seldom found more modesty, more reti-
cence and more dignity than is in the
character of the average model OF the
artist. In fact, she has generally a
stronger grain in her nature than most
women have. for she has to conquer
vast amount of repugnance and natural
antipathy to accept the position
which she does, and it is gener-
ally for some high motive OF
duty that she finally does SO. Not
long since one of our prominent local
artists said: II meet almost daily with
| female models. | make study of the
human form, and whilst l paint both
| that of the man and woman there is gen-
orally oftener in art demand for the
portrayal of wOman's face and form.
| consider the subject must be an eX-
ceedingly chaste and ideal one to war
rant the painting in the nude, and the
conceptions of modern artists are usually
of that nature. The trend of modern
art is to purity of design and compost
| ton. The day has gone by when paint
| ers use their genius and gifts in repro
duclng any subject that is not conducive
| to morality. In America especially the
people will-not have what is not per-
fectly chaste and moral, and the artists
are much happier in producing this
sort of work and making them
selves felt in this regard in Paris,
Munich and the other European cities
| where their work is carried on or exhlb-
tied. In my constant meeting with the
woman model, especially the one who
| poses for studies in the nude, l find her
as modest, oftener more SO than those
| women who could not conquer their
| feelings under like circumstances,
which necessitate the models who pose
! to do so. At first the models feeling is
| pitiable. Their natural modeSty makes
them undergo real physical torments.
| They often have nervous chiilS and
| tremble so that their sittings have to be
| very brief. After time they lose this
acute sense of modesty. They feel that
the artists for wnom they pose regard
them simply as they would statue or
the painting for which
They Are Posing.
"A popularity OF the artist is that he
never remembers that human form is
before him or with him; it is all part of
the routine, and he simply looks upon
his model as model pure and simple.
His attitude quickly treasures the model
and she begins to feel statue-like in her
own feelings.
''As rule the artist awaits his model
in his studio alone or with his class, il
he has one. The model knocks at his
door, which is fastened again for fear of
intrusion on her. She is In street at
tire. of course, and usually heavily
yelled, for she does not always care
that her calling should be known. She
always is perfectly assured Of the high
standing of the artist before she con-
sents to pose, so she feels secure
in her coming. She retires behind
drapery which stands at one
end of the room, or behind screen, as
the case may be, and disrobes prepare
tory for the posing. When she comes
out she takes her position standing mo
tionless as statue, standing, reclining
or sitting as the subject is required.
Then for fifteen minutes the artist or
the master and his class draw or paint
her. Sometimes model has such pow
ers of endurance that she can remain in
| an immovabe position for half an hour.
Ii so she is considered better subject,
but as a rule fifteen minutes is the du-
ration of the time she poses. Then she
retireS to her screen or drapery and
rests for five minutes, again posing for
fifteen minutes or half an hour and
again taking a rest. The longer she
remains quiet the sooner the sitting is
over, and that sometimes actuateS a
longer posing of the model.
''Some of those who pose allow NO one
to know their secret. [ know of one
beautiful model who has delicate
mother. The girl worked in store day
after day on starvation wages and could
not earn enough to supply her mother
with the comforts necessary to life. Be
sides she had little sister to support
so when chance brought in her way the
opportunity to become model she over
came her
Natural Reluctance
and began posing for the artists. She
knew it would pain her mother mex
pressibly, however. if she were to pose
nude. so she carefully keeps the fact
from her, though she tells her she is a
draped model and occasionally brings
home sketch of herself in draped pict.
ure when she has posed draped fer a
class. The girl hates the calling. bui
does it simply for duty's sake. OF
course there are often models
who are not afflicted with this
timldity, but we do not care