New-York tribune., 1911-04-02


calls him, gray-haired and courtly. with
the red rosette Of the Legion OF Honor
in his buttonhole. do tho honors to .
beautiful young woman whom hs leads
about az II she were . duchess. She
poses exclusively for those charming
out t-of-door nude nymphs Of his. In the
high-walled garden that surrounds his
palatial studio. and afterward entertAins
his guests in his great atelisr with -
much wit and grace ~ II she had como
from tho Faubourg 81 osrmain. instead
Of q Vienna slun.
Tragedy falls to the lot Of the model
In undreamed-of ways. a celebrated
sculptor Of exotic subjects had his mod
el wear at Q costume ball IN ancient
Eastern dress gorgeous with gold and
gems, Q ind Of his on one Of his travels
to the far East. Later tho beautiful
woman was attacked with q mysterious
disease and died leper. the result OF
her patrons pride in his beautiful
model
But Il isn't all balls and fun. cafes
and little suppers and tho sentimental
tete-a-tete in the intimacy Of the tapes
try hung studio for the model There 10
the other side Of the canvas. as our
French friends say. The work 10 hard'
to hold a difficult pose for half hour
or an hour. as is expected OF the ex-
perienced model, is no sinecure. The ex-
tremities may turn purple and the body
become a.quiver, and sometimes she
drops in faint, the result Of long hours
and scant food.
MUST TAKE WEIRD P0STURES.
The profession demands really aero
I batic feats-to be suspended head down.
ward from the ceiling by ropes; to stand
on tiptoe with all the muscles at tension;
floating in tub Of water la Ophelia
(even IL the water Is warmed) for the
painter with a penchant for aquatic mo-
tifs.
These are some Of the requirements,
and where the patron Is exacting and
gives small heed to the models comfort.
the life is often enough pure drudgery.
She poses in cold. drafty studios
the artists arc economical OF fire, heat
costs in Paris. It is said the only warm
studios In Paris are those Of the Amer
leans. She gets hollow cough ana
the none too wholesome life hastens
the consumptive end.
For the shoals of models drifting about
the atellers of Paris. life Is q continual
| uncertainty. A franc an hour Is good
enough IL 1t came every day, but II
doesn't. and food and rent do. There Is
constant competition. new fashions IN
| methods for which she Is not the type,
I and then the long, dull summer season.
and IL she has not "bon ami" to take
her to one of the sketchlns grounds
about Paris. the haunts Of the artists,
she must make the round OF empty STU
dios with only the casual summer tenant
to whom her appeal means no more than
that of q dozen others who have been
around that week.
The schools are closed or running on
cutdown schedule: there is real sunering'
and the charitably minded artist VIII
pass out a franc to soften the refusal
The sitting heat OF a tiny hole OF a
room, without window. under the roof,
drives her out OF doors, and lack OF food
sends her along the furtive nightly
promenade OF the brilliant boulevards.
And the little Fifines, what becomes or
them? Sometimes the collage Is life
long: again. when the parting comes, the
"bon amr' may be generous enough TO
give her a few hundred francs to set her
IN as a corsetiere or a milliner, or even
give her dot to marry on. one paint
or with an international reputation as
sisted a faithful model Of long standing
by lending his name to an art scnool
which she established. and further gave
the practical help of weekly criticism to
the classes.
Often the little model drifts from one
collage" to another, on downward
scale, and then out on TO the street.
Again the end is the river and iast
rose on the marble slab OF the morgue
"Ah. vraiment, monsieur" says jeanne
as she rises and stretches her statuesque
arms from their strained pose. lie meter
c'est assez dificile.'
BLANCHE MMANUS.
------------------------------