The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-01

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Painting from models posed out-of-
doors is, at the present moment, a favor
lite method OF study with artists, and
that is Just what we did this summer at
Paris with Monsieur Raphael Collin.
M. Collin lives half an hour by the
train out OF Paris, in the little town
OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and there his
pupils follow him. to work from June
I'LL October.
I Tontena y-aux-Roses itself appeals
fstrongly to the heart OF g. lover Of beauty.
resting, as it does, upon the hills which
overlook Paris from the south, and with
Its narrow winding streets, tiny white
houses and red tiled roofs
Looking out OF our windows in the val
ley below lay the city, stretched like
panorama. OF to the left the Arc de
Triumphe. the Trocadere. Eiffel tower
and. above all. Montmatre. with the
white towers OF sacrc Occur. To our
right Notre Dame and on the left bank
of the Seine the dome of the Pantheon
rising from the heart OF the Latin Quar-
ter. But. OF course, for us, all things
revolved around him, the master painter
and teacher.
How our hearts palpitated with anxiety
that morning when we new students
waited for our first criticism! We had
heard of the abruptness and unsympa-
thetic criticisms OF many foreign teach
crs, and naturally did not know what
to expect from man whose name Is
starred In books as an officer Of the
Legion OF Honor. Judge In tho Salon,
and for dozen other honors won by his
brush.
When Monsieur came. however. all
fears vanished. and instead we felt at
once that sympathy SO desirable be-
tween teacher and pupil.
NJ. Collin seemed to me to be the
biggest" man In France-not only as an
artist. but in person. Most Frenchmen
are about five feet three or four inches.
while NJ. Collin is six feet. tall and weighs
LRo hundred pounds.
He comes to the class with quick.
nervous step. yet never appears hurried,
his manner being always gentle and
chiyalrous.
After a courteous bon Jour" he sits
silent before study several minutes.
then. one hand resting on his knee and
In the other holding a brush. with the
Kindness and sympathy OF the great man
he is: he points out things which are
well done and others where more study
Is necessary.
zee nest pas NAL zee ra bicn." I'll
taut chercher," are characteristic ex-
rressIons. kind Of punctuation In his
definite and careful criticism.
The criticisms were given In French,
but for any OF us who dreaded the re-
sponsbility5 OF transating for ourselves
there was bright young Kansas City.
girl who speaks French fluently and
who acted as interpreter. She talked at
the same moment as Monsieur. so that
her words and his gestures fitted.
N. Collin Is sad by the French peo-
pie to be their greatest decorator since
the DAYS OF Pervls de Grievances. He Is
cmincntly a poet-painter. He has heard
the voices OF the 'Harmonies OF nature
as they whisper to the poet soul. and
repeats to the world these harmonies
through painting. His pictures all
breathe the spirit OF youth and OF the
woods In snr'sg and summer. Quiet
water and shaded glades where stray
CLEAN Of sunshine filters through the
leaves. form the scene or setting for his
figures, and all In satisfying. delight
ful harmony.
Il we have any vanity we soon lay it
aside: but. strange to say. he never
leaves one totally discouraged or de-
spondent.
A constant and enthusiastic worker
himself. NJ. Collin has the power OF in
spring the absolute onfidence OF pupil
4 In him. In the truth of his aims and in
his Judgment. He leads the Individual
mind to think for itself and imparts
such a glow OF his own enthusiasm
one hurries to work with the impulse OF
a new thought and a new ideal.
In the class this summer there were
no self-fndulgent students among US,
cut seven live American girls. null OF
energy. and every one dead In earnest.
representing California, Missouri Ohio.
New York. Maryland and Virginia.
One can be thoroughly independent
I working as we did--rlenty OF room for
originality and free thinking. The model
Is posed under n huge white umbrella.
The pose being the same for two weeks:
,ne looks carefully around, selects tho
position which seems the best. but which
Invariably turns out to be the hardest
ut all; stakes her umbrella, sets UP her
canvas and paints.
We worked in NJ. Collins own garden
at Fontenay. and there. amidst fruit
trees and flowers of every kind. lilies.
roses and great poppies, Haunting their
Gorgeous heads in the very Joy of living
there in this wilderness OF fragrance
and beauty, four enchanted hours flew
by each day. and we wondered why not
all the people in the world wero study
ing art Just In that spot!
Rainy DAYS would come sonletimes. and
then we painted In tho studio from dirk
Dyed French girls dressed In charming
costumes. Ono OF them. mile Claire"
was especially interesting to us free-born
Americans. because her French mamma
has said. you must either marry this
sutor have selected or go into a con-
vent within two years.
II the French women had tasted half
of the Joy Of tho Independence OF one
born In "the land OF tho free and the
homo of the brave two years would be
more than enough time to mako pleas
anter arrangements.
Besides the study atFontenay. another
deliehtful feature Is the conlpanionship
Of fellow art students II Is an old say
Ing. but ever new, when we rcdtscover
It for ourselves. that working on ones
chosen profession Ia n pleasure but when
working with others earnestly engaged
In the same thing, u ten-fold Is added.
not onlv4 of pleasure. but otlinspiration
md effectiveness
So 1t was with us under the umbrellas
ut Fontenay. What fun we had keep
Ing up each others courage, sympnthiz-
ing, rejoicing with her who had won "
special NEED of praise that Wrskl Then
the stretching In tho afternoons, the ten
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