The evening times., 1898-03-24
FHIR ARTISTS
... in VENICE
American Gill Contingent Of
the Lovely Aggregation.
Painting and Skctching Italian Ar
chitccture and sunset scenes
With steady Hands.

From May until November. writes
Venice correspondent hundreds Of Amer
lean girls are scattered over the face of
Europe painting out Of doors and getting
in good trim for their Winters work
France is the favorite country, but there
are a great many Of US here. The first
thing that the girls do 1.-TWO usually work
together) is to buy "sandaIo." This is
long. narrow boat smaller than a gon-
dola. but propelled in the same way by
long oar welded by the oarsman who
stands in the stern This rover is a lad
not young enough to lack judgment"
and not old enough TO earn mans
wages. He is paid from S1.40 to 81 a
week
The sandalo is a plain. little affair. II
lacks the cool Summer awnings, the brass
ornaments of curling dragons or sea
horses. the shining steel "ferro" or PROV
of the full-rigred gondola. Like a man-Of-
war its decks are cleared for action. one
sees at a glance that its occupants are
on great deeds intent. complete
sketching Outit is in the bottom of the
boat. The girls noses are weather worn,
and their browS have pucker from
much study Of reflections in bright wa
ters. a few dabs of paint on their pretty
cotton blouses betray their calling. Their
sailor hats have wide brims and their
toilets are characterized By extreme sim
plicity except when they go to the piazza
for a little respite from work, and to gain
fresh inspiration by eating an ice at Flo
rian's.
At first the girls sketch in retired hooks
where. seated in the sandalo, they are
safe from observation. But little by lit
tie they venture forth to public view. un-
til at last they boldly paint the great
portal of st. Marks. sections of the Du-
cal Palace or San MaggOire seen across
the shining waters from the busy Piazet-
ia.
But 1t takes a clear head and steady
nerves to work serenely among the scores
Of spectators. There is the small boy.
He is not as rude and aggressive as in
Paris. but curious, numerous and always
eating green fruit with much energy.
There is a never ending procession of
tourists and Italian loungers who pause
to inspect and criticise freely. The other
day a clever young artist was telling me
some of her experiences.
And this is modern art,' was the
brief and caustic comment of one Amer
lean woman.
she has made but six column, here
Italian Antonio shouted he. hailing
q passing acquaintance. What count
est thou? / make it seven and she but
sixr' And one after another of the pass
ers-by was informed of the fact and
taken into the council of critics to the
distraction of the unhappy young artist.
The pensioners along the Grand Canal
see little of the students. Usually rooms
are taken on the side canals where they
can be had for So or $6 a month. Din
ner is otter furnished by the landlady or
sent in from a neighboring restaurant.
A nice little dinner costs about 80 cents,
and a simple breakfast and supper can
be easily prepared at home over an oil
lamp Two visits q week to the RialtO
market will furnish a supply of good
fruit and salad. Fresh crisp lettuce
costs cents for three heads, delicious
grapes from 8 to cents pound, and
for 10 cents you can buy all the fresh
tomatoes you can carry. This Bohe-
miau way of living has its advantages.
One is not tied down to the fixed hours
of a pension and while sketching in dis
tant quarters the nearest small restau
rant will furnish something to eat.