The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-03-13


necessities of the moment, If l may
use such an expression. to control my
output. / am a believer in very care
full and conscientious work. People
imagine that my drawings are dashed
off, 1 bow down before those who can
produce easily; alasl cannot claim to
initiate their example. Take one COM
paratively simple matter, that of cos
tune. Tell me what man wears, and
I will tell you what manner of man he
is"
'"Then 1t is true, Monsieur, that you
attach an immense Importance to
clothes?"
Yes, indeed"
And is there any special work now
occupying your attention."
We'll, in one sense, 1 always have
more to do than 1 seem able to ac-
complish, and once a week I contrib
ute half a page of political sketches
to the Figaro; but at present l am
devoting a great deal of thought, to
say nothing of time, to working out a
scheme which will probably first see
the light in a completed shape at the
forthcoming exhibition of 1900. I am
thinking Of calling it La Rue de Cent
Ans The Street During a Century, ;
and it will be kind of panorama en-
bodying the life, movement and poetry
of the typical Paris thoroughfare dur
ing the last hundred years. Among
other things will be shown the many
notifications undergone by traffic from
the days of the post chaise to those
which have ushered in the motor car.
Perhaps you will hardly believe me
when 1 tell you that I have found
working up this subject a matter of
absorbing interest. / have literally
hundreds of authorities, and the more
l go on. the more absorbed I be-
come. OF course, there will be many
glimpses at the great revolution, and
the first and second empire will also
play their part, and then there will
be the grim siege of Paris. am avoid
ing any element of melodrama; but
picturesque incidents are of course well
come, and one of the most important
features of the scheme will be re-
construction of the historical review
held by Napoleon I on the Place du
Carousel"
by the way, surely when compos-
ing this kind of work you find it ne
cessary to make use of modeis?"
mo, indeed. I have very strong
views concerning the professional
model. and in this matter 1 disagree
with many of my most talented COM
rades. To my mind, no professional
sitter can give a true impression of
life and movement. That a man or
woman should be suddenly able to
slip into the skin, as 1t were, of an
other character would argue on his
or her part a very notable dramatic
gift. Why should we expect to find
great actor or actress in every pro-
fessional model? Now, animals make
very good sitters, and every dog lover
will admit that no one can be a bet
ter pOSeur than our intelligent four
footed friend when he has a mind
that way Still, from my point of
view, beasts are quite as interesting
as human beings. Whenever l can
spare the time / enjoy an hour in the
Jardin discrimination as much as any
Of the children whom I see there.
Horses have always remained my IA
vorites, but there are many creatures
precious to the artist; elephants, for
instance. are peculiarly picturesque,
and lend themselves most happily to
pen and pencil"
by the way. do you yourself gen.
orally work with a pen or with a pen
.cil?"
AT the present moment ost of my
drawings are done with pen and ink,
with a very fine brush I have thou
my original conception that these gem
orally become very useful 20 me after
ward. When whatever drawing I am
engaged on approaches it's final stage
fasten it by its edges upon a large
sheet of glass; this enables me to
change or add such details as 1 think
fit. OF course. as regards reproduc-
ton, I prefer the old-fashioned wood