The Washington times., 1921-02-27
-" YCIEE7L " TIKI
The Story Of Audrey Munson-Intimate Secrets Of
Revealed by the Most Perfect. Most Versatile
American Models. Whose Face and Figure Have Inspl
Thousands Of Masterpieces Of Sculpture and Paintin
BIZ uAudyey NunOn
BY Audrey Mls11sOn

innocence, of her nudity, just he. "Louvain
stripped of everything it had taken in all the years Of
its history" the sculptor had said to her, "just
might be stripped Of all her adornment her out.
ward ornaments-her clothing-and all that stands
forth for the world to gaze upon the ruined city just
the nude form of its soulLouvan Naked but unashamed
and still pure.''
When she went home after the artist said this to her
Miss Melton wrote it down paper and every morning
before she the studio she read it herself
II said the sentences over to myself when stepped
onto the dais she explained afterward "and kept
pesting them. felt not if were nude but as if
the city of Louvain my dress burned and torn
from me- leaving me bare, but with for shame.
After many months the statue completed 1t was
placed exhibition at the Mich Galleries, in New York
City, While other artists and connosseurs extong
it King Albert arrived for his memorable visit coun
tryman told him of the beautiful marble exhibition and
visit to the galleries was arranged for him Belgium
could not yet begin purchasing great works for its cities
and museums and the King felt that the nation should
the masterpiece He sent for the sculptor and
ranged for its purchase in his own to be his gift to
his people.
Mr.. Scarptta brought at the Kings request the little
model who may always remember that she is of the
few whose hands king has condescended to kiss
81 will enjoy looking upon THE Spirit of Louvain'
all the that have looked upon the young
who inspired it, Both the statue and the model
worthy of each other, f" said the royal Albert
Sand when am to come again for another statue -
Miss Melton asked of Mr. Scarpta after much honor
had accrued to his first effort with her his model
"Never again, ! hope-and most certainly never to
any else the sculptors reply. ''You too
impusve-o eager and too beautiful in your youthful
physical self to entrus yourself to the temptations that
confront model would be afraid for you. To be the
inspiration of marvellous piece Of art nothing less than
glory to any model but knows what is to be
the future of young who would start young
to in the nude for every artist who sought an
inspiration"
Miss Melton has followed Mr. Scarpittas advice. Her
mother decided that she had made her contribution to
art and that she should be kept away from the studios
e..
that young women took the that led to the
posing dais Many models, though, have risen in the
world far comfort and prosperity counts and many
have remained faithful to their ideals.
One of the charming girls met in the stu
os the famous Marie de Socc who posed frequently
in New York for Robert Atken, A. Alexander, the dis
tinuished painter and for Charles Dana Gibson in his
younger days Marie was French girl, but came to
New York with her parents when she a child and
grew up here She went to Paris to complete her educa
tion the of grand parents and then back
In Paris she eked out modest income given her by
her parents to her through her schooling by occasional
poses at of the academies She had especially beaut
full hands and feet combination very hard to find in any
youthful model She earned only few sous day, but
these her occasional Of fnery and made her
school lunches more palatable.
In these school days Marie must have been very
modest, demure little thing was just beginning to pose
when first met her. She then in her heyday in New
York, and 1 admired her greatly. She gave me many
condolences and among them told how several French
scuptors who her in the academy and admired her
hands and feet asked her to pose for them in the ao
gether"
But she refused them all est was Robert Bayard,
dean of sculptors who first asked if would notet him
do work in the nude from me- she told 81 thought
it was horrible After that could not lift my skirts
to pose my feet"
After she returned to New York. however, the desire
to pose again and keep up the extra income led her to
seek out the better artists The painters made use OF her
in varied studies but few scuptors models for any
thing but the undraped. Older and more used to
the world Marie was not so backward She was soon
busy az model for the nude The beauty of her hands
and feet extended her body and her experience in
Paris added to her value She may be in many mas
terpieces in the Metropolitan Museum in New York and
In the museums at Chicago Philadelphia and Boston.
When she had saved little money Marie went back to
Paris She could not put down WISH she explained to me
when she left to go back to those artists who had
laughed when she bushed their requests to pose her
undraped and show them she had overcome her childish
shyness She was welcomed in Paris, and soon was in
demand She 20 longer had to pose in the academies
The prosperous artists sought all her me The sous she