Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-06
POSING FOR ARTISTS
Paris Models Are From All
Walks of Life.
SOMEFAMOUS BEAUTIES
THEY TAKE A PRIDE IN THE FIN
IsHED CANVAS.
Often a Picture is a Composite OF
Small Figures-Venus of the
Strawberries.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
PARIS, November %. 1902.
On vanishing day of the last Salon
crowd, as usual, stood around the master
piece Of the painter Bouguereau, which was
as usual-a dream of fair woman, Pan
dora letting loose a flight Of little doves
In the crowd there stood four pretty girls.
Though pretty, they were not great beau
ties; though chic, they were not richly
dressed; though hammered, they We're
not of society, and though intelligent, they
could be neither painters nor critics.
Yet the four girls took immense interest
in the painting. and. still more, they de-
lighted In the admiration of the crowd for
the Pandora
You might think they had painted the
picture" I said to a, friendly artist.
at IS their picture, though they did not
paint it, was his answer. 1.-The Pandora
on the wall, there, IS their portrait. Come,
I will introduce you"
Thus l came to be presented to four of
Bouguereau's best models. Willingly they
let themselves be taken to the buffet for
glass of chocolate and opportunity to sit at
ease and watch the vanishing day throng,
and willingly they disclosed the patchwork
composition Of the beauteous Pandora
A Composite Picture.
'You can see that the face is mine.' said
the prettiest; and on examination one could
trace how the baby face had been idealized.
Except that the eyes are emine"' said
slender soulful girl. with eyes like mid
night suns
You posed for the eyes alone?'' I asked
in some establishment. because to me she
seemed quite as possible as the other.
They are my little capital!r She an
swered.
Her eyes are her fortune, sir.s detained
the painter, who had read some English
poetry. n
And the torso is hers!' added the girl
with the eyes. generously Indicating her
companion, sp1enddly robust creature,
THE rest of the figure is minev added
the fourth girl supple and dangerous.
And the hands and the hair and the feet
and the rest?' I exclaimed Fi- 'aA -
Ihey are divided up among us" an
swered the baby face. 1.-The hands are
those of Berthe here. Show thep"
The soulful,eyed one held up her ten love
ly fingers, white and blue-veined and dim
pied, as in the too lovely hands of Bougue-
reau's habitual heroines So we completed
the inventory. The pink-and-whIte flesh
tints were from one girl, the rosy feet
from "a a second, and the golden :, tresses,
Nothing IS too good for the great Bou-
Then he referred to the beauties OF Pan
CORA as SO many samples. NOR uiu the
girls protest. Doubtless each felt that she
alone would have done very wei.
us there much of this sort of collabora-
ton among models?" / asked them
None carry it SO far as Bouguereau,"
replied the brother artist. .'but ell who,
like Bouguereau. go In for utter loneliness
of form and tint must be content to take
1t here and there, as they can find it. A
real woman made up of such samples Of
perfection would be monstrous.
An TpueuaI H,-~
There are any number of great painters
who would not dream of such a mixing
up he continued. Take the case of NJ.