St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-17
AUDACIoUs BLAsPHEMY.
Art Students in Paris Impersonate
the Trinity at a Ball.

Paris correspondence St.Louis Post Dispatch.
The French authorities have at last
taken umbrage at the balls given by the
art students at the Moulin Rouge and at
the Elysee Montmartre. The truth is
that the performances at these enter
tainments far "outstrippeT' anything
that ever had been seen IN Paris before.
Even forthe CITY of Light" the conduct
of the participants was light in the
extreme. Acting upon the well-known
regulation that the police are never
supposed to take any cognizance of
what goes on at private ball, namely
one to which admission is TO be obtained
by invitation solely, no tickets being
sold, the wild young Bohemians con-
shutting the future painters, SculptorS
and architects OF France led the way
with an entertainment at which the
lady guests were all their female mod
els, and who appeared at the affair in
the costume in which they were won't
to pose to their hosts.
The most beautiful woman of this
class in Paris, the English girl. Sarah
Brown, was led through the rooms by a
silken cord around her neck. and was
just that much more .attiEed by reason
of that cord than were most of the other
damseIs present. One of the group,
mounted on a white donkey, had on
gilt crown, from which fell an ample
veil in thin red gauZe, spangled
with gold, enveloping her from head
to foot-'only that and nothing
more" | say nothing Of the rest.
There was one group which repre-
scented Paradise, the students being all
attired as angels, and it was headed, as
1t marched in procession through the
rooms, by the three perSonageS OF the
Trinity, Dieu lie Pere being particularly
noticed dis a most excellent impersona-
ton. Our Savior, being gotten uD as an
exact reproduction of the Christ Be-
fore PLATE" in the Munkacsy picture,
was also considered most successful, but
the Saint Esprit, man wearing a
devils head as mask and having
doves wings on his shoulders, was
rather a failure.
But with all the impiety and indie
cency Of the entertainment, think that
the authorities would have been content
to let it pass unnoticed if only its auda-
ciouS promoters had been content to
stop there and promise never to do SO
any more. But. emboldened by I'M
puDity, a second ball of the same nature
was organized, and took place at the
Elysee Montmartre, at which all the
elements Of fun and frolic that had lent
tinge of saving grace to the iirst one
were wholly eliminated, and gave place
to scenes OF gross and vulgar lndeCency.
A third ball. this time to be given
by the models themselves to the
art students, was projected, at which
it was whispered that the two first af-
fairs were to be entirely suppressed so
far as their worst features were con-
cerned. But law and order, too long
outaaged, at last stepped in III the per
sons of their appointed guardians, and
all the Objectionable elements of the af-
fair were entirely eliminated. So Seri-
Gus matter are those outrageS against
decency and morality now considered,
that an appeal for their suppression has
been brought before the senate, and it
is probable that a stringent law to meet
that and similar cases will forthwith be
passed.