The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-25
NOW OUT OF EMPLOYMENT.
Pathetic Story Of Katharine Calllgan,
the Best Model in New York.
She POSED FOR FAMOUS ARTISTS.
Now Her "Calves" Are Lumpy, Her Hands
Red and Her Ankles Too Big and
Stronghold Healthy for Any
thing bat Bicycle Trllby.

NEW YORK, April 81 am a young
woman of twenty-five years. am s feet
inches tall, and weigh rs pounds.
These are the proportions OF a woman
modelled after the Venus 90 Milo, and
in all New York City there IS not
young woman-no, nor in Paris-more
artistically shaped And this one fact
is leading TO the greatest trouble OF my
life
To be plain / must state that I am
an artists model and that l earn 50 an
hour for posing. l am said TO be the
best model in Gotham. But OF that /
say nothing beyond that | have posed
for Gibson, Wenzell, Chase, Beckwith and
St. Gaudens.
Yes, and for Sargent and Carolus Du-
ran. and so many other painters that 10
mention them would be giving list for
the Royal Academy Of artists. even
posed for Du Maurer before he left off
drawing and went to writing. And Phil.
May the outline artist Of London, has
placed me in hundreds Of his girl pic
lures.
This Is told, not as a matter OF vanity,
but only in pardonable pride.
Last autumn I was troubled with IN
digestion or some ''old thing as the
boys say, and 1 went 70 my doctor. lie
said, as all doctors do. ride a wheel
Before going homo l stopped at a BIZ
cycle shop to get the prescription filed,
and a month later when / went TO my
model appointment at 10 o'clock in the
morning | rode a wheel, storing IL I'm the
basement of the house where the artist
lived.
said nothing TO him about having
learned to ride.
That day as Mr. c. was painting I no
ticed that he was very irritable. He posed
me again and again l was sitting or
standing for the Venus de Medir.
He was making a rather pretty picture
of an American beauty. the Duchess Of
NJ, in classic drapery for a foreign cas-
tie. He had painted the duchess from
life. but wanted me 10 pose for the figure,
after which nc would place classic drap-
cry upon IT,
After some little hesitation he said:
Miss c.. we will have 10 let the pic
ture so this morning. Either 7 am stu
pid or you are posing badly. The truth
is that your arms seem out Of proportion.
The forearm is too we'll developed; al-
most muscular. The soft outline is gone.
You might as we'll have been riding n
wheel. as far as your muscles are con-
cerned."
went home sad and guiltily wiseb
went home very said and guilty
wise. Next day l went back 20 him.
But no found all sorts OF fault with me.
He had changed the picture and was
painting upon a Newport scene where
the girls were playing upon the beach.
your limbs-pardon me" said he. ARE
not what they used TO be. Your calves
we're so perfectly rounded. Now ] ro-
tice a lumpiness that It IS impossible 10
paint in an ideal leg. And really, Miss
Calligan. fear you are growing heavy.
Your muscles are so big"
Disguised 1 left the studio and went
on my rounds posing. In New York
model IS a far different parsonage from
4 model in Paris. Here she IS her own
mistress. Her time is her own outside
Of posing hours and she is not expected
TO perform the TIlby functions OF cook
ing. mendlng and nursing. She can be
as independent as the lady who gives
the artist his commission. Therefore,
though I had been riding a month, had
not mentioned il to any Of my artist
patrons.
The next place 7 went I was 10 pose
FOR the hands OF n society woman who
is beautiful. but is gifted with hands
too large. Meissonier once painted her
portrait and made the mistake Of de-
plotting the hands life size. This artist.
a clever Frenchman, had the portrait
Win MN NAfH nc ANtNf TO NlAN" '.'NAANt y
intending to finish # here and show IT
TO Mrs MS American relatives and
then take il back with him to her home
in Paris, where she lives most Of the
year.
My hands are usually beautiful white
-delicately tinted upon the palms and
finger tips and shaped as those OF the
Milo Venus might have been had they
not been lost.
I took my place IN the chair OF state
and rested my hands upon my lap IN an
idle. graceful way. Impossible called
out the artist, try again" 1 moved
my hands. The next minute ho was
on his feet coming towards me. moving
nv hands. laying them here and there
and turning them this way and that.
"Never will do Won't do at all"' he ex-
claimed, "Too red, too coarse. too lumpy
I'm the phalanges Of the thumb. Yet
they told me you had the best hands
Of any artist I'm New York.
II have" cried I. bouncing out Of the
chair and ready 10 cry OF modification;
but you shall never paint them" and