The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-03

whom we may leave to his consideration,
is paid twenty francs, or 81 week for pos
ing daily one-half day, except on Sundays
and holidays. If the model poses all day,
every student gives to the model from
whom he Is drawing one big copler-two
cents. This is on Wednesday and SatuP-
day. by way of the traditional "pourboire"
which belongs to the universal French tip
ping habit.
1t is something more than a tin to the
model and Increases notably the wages.
! Thus in winter there are sometimes as
many as 100 students, whose tips are d.
vided among three models. which makes
more than an extra dollar week apiece.
In summer, when the studio remains open
in spite of the otherwise universal vaca-
ton, a half dozen faithful students will
/ still give their pittance to the single mod
ell On the whole it is not bad trade for
the persons likely to take it up. As to any
possible romances between model and stu
dent, they may best be told to the marines.
There is a wide field for the models art
which is not to be despised, for it re-
quires some experience-among the private
studios which abound in Paris For them
the model market has been notorious at
the Place Pigalle; also on Monday morn
ing, when the artists of Montmartre come
to choose. As it was on the open street,
the Vestments of paradise had to be dis
carded, sometimes, doubtless, to the ad-
vantage of romance.
''Ze rich American pays re drinksw
1t is first rest, and the new students
time. They all rise as one man. lead him
in triumph down the stairs, and then,
out of respect for his high hat. carry
him on their shoulders to the cafe across
the street. The money question is in
significant. There is a head to this turbu-
lent rout OF young men, called the mas
sler'" chosen from among themselves.
He attends to the accounts of the studio,
of the new students reception as well
as of the models. The cafe proprietor
also has an understanding, and at the
proper time the American will be in
formed what the drinks have cost
1t will not be ruinous here in France,
where habits are economical and the
taste of men often runs to sugar and
water. Out of compliment American
grog will be patronized on the present oc-
caslon; first, because 1t Is hot and COM
forting and, secondly and chiefly, because
it is served with spoons which serve in
their turn to make the necessary noise.
Noise is the principal means of intoxi-
cation, to the French mind, and the spoons
are soon beaten on the glasses to call for
speech from the rich American who
pays for the drinks. If he, too, is primed.
he will obediently mount the table and
open his mouth. He may emit whatever
sound he chooses, or none at all. 1t is all
the same to the crowd, who only wish
him to go through the motions, while they
raise the roof with their cries.
With a French student it may be differ
ent. They will wait for him to enter on
a tide of eioquence when they will break
out worse than the deputies on a gala day
in Parliament. If he loses his temper, SO
much the better; he will be the Senator"
forevermore. But the American is voted
jolly good fellow, and with a cheer the
crowd slopes back to the studio. Among
them is an elderly swell-an American
also-who lives on his money in the
Champs Elysees quarter, and persuades
himself year after year that he is learn
ing art here by modelling in clay.
The 'atelier," or studio, which is big
art school, has its various divisions, reg
ulariy visited by famous artists whom NJ.
Julian, the founder of number of these
classes outside the Government school of
the Beaux-Arts, has secured for his stu
dents. Here in the Rue du Dragon are
Bouguereau, Jean Paul Laurens and Ben
jamin Constant Our American sets him
self to work drawing from the model.
He is supposed to have had enough pre-
liminary training to do this by himself
! But his fellow students, who have not
| passed through the mill without the de-
| sire to keep it grinding, have not yet
finished with him. Early in the week a
/ grave-looking, bearded man passes around
! dhiOhS ILS CdSSlS, dppdAC hliS NlitiS4ShilS
the work. The new one awaits this first
! Judgment. Is he to be pronounced a
| Michael Angelo on the spot?
Alas! when his turn comes, he has it
clearly pointed out to him that he. has
not caught the character of the model
the legs are too long, the thumbs too
| short that he shows signs of remarka-
BILE unfitness for his work; and he stands
! quaking, for some one has whispered in
| his ear that it is Constant who is criti-
cising, Then the critic walks away, and
| it is only when the real criticism of the
! day arrives that the new student finds he
| has been fooled by a false Constant He
| is lucky is he has not again to pay the
! drinks.
The real Benjamin Constant says a lit
| tie word, a least, about every picture in
| the room; and he frankly recognizes the
| slightest merit Each week he or Lau-
! rens picks out the best for the monthly
| competition on the last Sunday of the
month. During the month Laurens has
! criticised two weeks and Constant the
rest of the time.
Some thirty drawings come UP for the
| competition, and a prize of fifty francs
is given to the best. The picture be-
comes the property Of, the Julian Aca-
denny, and is hung up on the walls for the
encouragement of the newcomers. A
year ago it happened that two brothers
from Philadelphia won between them
the first competition in which they took
part in the painting division. That day
two rich Americans paid drinks all
| around.
AIMS