The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-07
THE CHASE ART SCHOOL
AS A PLACE TO VISIT
The Artists Informal Lectures An
Interesting Part of the
Programme.
STORIES ABOUT MODELS

New York Letter. in Chicago Post
a visit 10 the Chase Art School is one of
the things to do in New York. Just have
a friend among the art students. and the
rest is easy.
These art schools. be 1t whispered. are
even dirtier than the average newspaper
ofice-picturesquely dirty, of course. En-
bryonic painters have a way of simplify
ing matters by wiping their brushes on
the WALL and here and there great
splotches Of varied color give an effect of
impressionist studies of a remarkable sort.
Mural decorations. also in the shape Of
bOdyless. heads there are in abundance.
They seem TO be well executed" remarked
a visitor facetiously.
The Chase lecture every Monday morn
ing is an important feature of the week s
programme. The large room is always
filled. The girls-gray-haired, some or
them-sit about on high stools, low stools.
chairs, tables, anything. The men stand
In the rear. All listen eagerly. There
never was a more iattering audience, hang
ing on every word as though il were in
deed the breath of life.
Mr.. Chase is a pungent talker-sug-
gestive. frank. fearless, using the knife
sometimes In heroic treatment of a bad
case. The lectures are informal talks.
Questions from the students sent in,
and the master answers them offhand, but
carefully, freely fully, from his full knowl-
edge and rich experience. He is short OF
stature, OF erect, trim figure, gray hair
and beard, the latter trimmed pretty close
and coming down to a point. He is full of
gesticula tion, and has mannerisms that are
funny, but they seem 10 emphasize rather
than weaken his words
At the beginning OF the lecture the other
day the girl just In front of him had an
open book and was using her pencil rapidly.
Mr.. Chase paused in his remarks. and
looked full at her. please don't do that"
he said.
why. Mr. Chase" said the GIRL IT am
only making notes of what you saying.
"Aw. pardon" was the reply. Il thought
you We're sketching me. l was going TO
say that / can give you photograph much
better than you can door L Will give you
a sitting after the lecture. L want TO look
my best, you know"
ART IN A NUTSHELL.
Here are some OF the questions put by
the students. and answered by Mr.. Chase:
q. Mr.. Chase. 1 am a sinner in art. What
can do 10 be saved?
A. Have faith. Believe in yourself and
your art.
O. What should be the highest aim in art E?
self. 1t is impossible to understand just
what ones dearest and nearest friend
wants us TO do. Work to satisfy your
whole being.
art? ""A' So'' Oh picture IS the hisneS' IN
A 1 would say the picture that is Gre
alive and humane. A picture that is the
artists own INTERPRETATIONS of something
he himself has seen. 1t used to be thought
that the historic picture was the highest
expression OF art In painting. Not so now
There are those historical paintings at the
Metropolitan Museum-ughi That one of
Columbus asking for the privilege Of dis
covering America-terrible thing. And that
awful one on the wall opposite. Ugh, They
take up so much space, toO-frightfuli
would rather paint picture Of a little boy
talking 20 a dog sitting on its launches
the great picture Is one that is a creative
work Of noble meaning. touched with
human Interest.
Q. Is it true that the Rubens at the Met
ropolitan Art Gallery. just at the entrance.
original?
A. l have understood something to that
effect But let tell you about that Ru-
bens-there is a precious little of Rubens
left in that picture. Ugh! Rubens would
be made Ill by the sight of it,
O. What is impressionism?
A. Well, impressioniSm used TO mean pea
greens and puppies and impossible yelows
But Monet and several other painters of
power rescued the school from the absurd.
Few are the followers that can follow them.
friend and were looking at picture of
the impressionist sort the other day, and
remarked TO him: Frankly, that looks to
me like something TO put in a dark room
and strike matches on" My friend went
me one better: 1T looks to me as IL the
matches had already been struck"
STORIES ABOUT MODELS.
The models of the Chase Art School are
not the least interesting feature of that
fnGfifnfinn hox
and are clothed. underclothed or partly
clothed. just as is desired They regard
themselves as pm important part of the
artistic profession, and they are. They
earn from 80 cents to 81 an hour. and
sometimes pose all day. with an intermis-
sion OF ten minutes every half hour
Models usually have little to say to the
students. but somehow bits of personal his
tory will now and then come to light. Some
time ago there was young woman posing
Trilbywise in the life class; and il was
noticed that at every interval of rest as
soon as she stepped down from the plat
form and drew her mantle about her she
would become absorbed in n book A little
curiosity was aroused as to what the girl
could be reading. and at last one persistent
Paine's Age Of Reason" And then il be-
gan TO be said that the model young tai
ented and ambitious, making her liy-
literary work.
But the star model in interest was the
1rfshman who. with half a chance, dis
coursed of the Vanderbilts and Wilson's.
whom-ch, yes-he knew well. Apparently
they were nothing less than old friends.
and 1t developed that at one time he was
butler at the Wilson residence.
Yes, I answered the front doorbell at
the Wilson's, he said with the manner
OF one who bore his greatness with mod
esty, and il was not bad place. let me
tell you. when Cornelius Vanderbilt and all
the young swells came sparkm' roun' Grace
Wilson Fifty cents il every time |
put on an overcOat or pulled off a rubber
shoe. And the Wilson's are good people
Grace Wilson was sweet young lady. and
i like Ormy, too. Yes, 1 liked 'em all-old
people and young people were kind and
good.
An amusing thing about this Wilson but
Ter was that he posed first as a priest and
fitted the character so i'll that IL was speed
lily abandoned. He was then tried as coach
man. seated on the back OF one chair and
driving another as a horse. and he was can
ital Posing as a butler. there is no telling
what heights he might have reached.