The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-15
Those Who Pose for Re-
ligious Paintings. - -
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.

When one asks an artist from whom he
paints his religious subjects, where he finds
his models and how he has decided on a
certain type Of face for his pictures, he
seems at loss to tell you. for the painting
of a religious figure is vastly different from
that Of a portrait a landscape.
Every artist who has painted religious
groups has discovered early that there has
never been definite likeness handed down
to US, and that there remains only an
"epochal type to work from, too; that he
must store up in his brain all that he can
remember of the old masters Madonnas
ana Virgins; read the religious passage that
he wishes to illustrate, and then-then he
must set to work and find face that cor
responds az nearly as possible with his
conception of the piece.
Many OF the religious pieces OF to-day
have been conceived in the most inart'stic
places and under the most ludicrous cir
cumstances. Mr.. +. s. Church FIRST pic
tured his beautiful piece, the 'Madonna OF
the Sea-, down on the sands of Coney
Island ON a very warm day-not the KIND OIL
weather exactly conducive to thought.
When Mr.. Church went back to his studio
the first thing he did was to send for MISS
Beatrice Marshall, one of the foremost OF
the models who psee for religious subjects,
and Miss MarshaifStame the next day; but
what a model she did an2ear!
1t was d RAINY uaS anu S'iS - SNi'S-S'N
young woman
She wore a short skirt and rubber boots
and did not look at all artistic, not even
when Mr. Church had posed her on pat
form and had draped her In soiled piece
of brown cloth and thrust rag doll-a rag
doll as soiled as could be-into her arms
In the midst of the work knock came at
the door. MIR. Church opened 1t and friend
looked in. He looked at the model and then
at the artist
S'What Is 1t. Church,
"a Madonna" answered the artist, with
out turning around.
Now said Mr.. Church. turning abont,
you come in Tomorrow at O'Clock ana
see But go away now: I've an inspiya-
ton he said. And off the man went. The
next afternoon at he CAME again. and
on the canvas appeared a Madonna re-
splendent in soft browpish robes. with
beautiful child In her arms.
.'She didn't have a Madonna face?' said
the friendly critic.
"No?" questioned Church. well. you see,
when she was sitting there she was con-
tiuually thinking OF the character she
meant to represent. and after she had been
on that platform for ten minutes you would
not have known her. her expression had so
changed and. with her expression and my
imagination, weir'-he said. and waved
his hand toward the picture of the Ma
of white gulls flying landward above her
head So much for rainy day and a model
particularly suited to the religious charac
ter
When Elliott Dahgerfield painted the pic
ture that has become so well known the
american Madonna he kept open house
to all the pretty children in the neighbor-
hood and his studio became a nursery for
all the little golden-haired children with
pretty blue eyes that he could find.
He took pride in the painting of the child.
lust as much as he did in his Madonna.
and the little ones played and slept in the
studio. while Mr.. Dangerfield caught
q fleeting expression from this and
that face; but the baby that
quite finished the picture was the
one who played post office" in the waste
asket for an hour and smiled to its own
little self in a most delicious manner
The Madonna was painted from as many
faces as was the child.
Miss Fanchon Herd posed for Mr. Danger
field for the head several days: so did Miss
Jessie williams. and. getting from each
face an expression or some certain feature.
in the end he produced the work We all
know.
To be model for the religious picture