Year: 1875

a queer but AOnesE Way OF MakInw


Money.


( Philadelphia Sunday Press.l


1t seems strange but neverthe-
less it is a true fact that there are
many young ladies who earn their
livelihood by acting or posing as
live lay figures for the art acade-
mics. AT first glance it seems dread
fully shocking and vulgar that
ladies' should appear before a party
of young men perfectly nude. 1t
is queer mode of making money,
but were it not for these ladies
there would not be any of the fine
figures which are christened Dianas
and Eennses, but are only such so
far as the shape and comeliaess of
the subject goes.


In conversation with Il promi-
nent member of the PENNSYLVANIA
Academy of Fine Arts, a reporter
of the Sunday Press learned most
strange things concerning the
world of art. He said that it was
extremely difficult to obtain young
ladies who would adopt this bust
ness, and only upon the most sa-
cred promises that their individu-
ality would not be revealed dc they
iSSs SSssest fa take the position. n
deed, said the gentleman, "this
rule is so well enforced that there
was one lady who appeared before
our class at the old academy for
four years before / came to know
who she was"


These nude, live figures only ap-
pear before the life class of the
academy for sketching. Formerly
they came before the gentlemen
alone, but IN the new building both
ladies and gentlemen will study
together. No one except the mem
bers of the class are ever admitted
to the room where they are study
ing from a figure, and only the
best artists are taken into member
ship in this mysterious body. The
method of study pursued is some
thing like the following: The lady
proceeds to room adjoining the
classroom, especially adapted for
her. At a given signal she ap-
pears before the assembled guests
upon a platform, masked and
shrouded in drapery. She is then
placed in the proper position re-
quired for the study, and soon the
deft handlers of the brush proceed
to depict her form. She is


NEVER ALLOWED TO BE SPOKEN To
by any of the members ofthe class,
and should any of the bold ones
break this rule they are immediate
ly and forever expelled.


Indeed, the whole proceeding so
soon assumes an air of business
that the artists, according to their
own statements, forget that the
lady who is exposing her charms
to their gaze is alive. OF course,
there is shock experienced by
the newcomer in the class the first
time he is present at the meeting,
but it soon wears off.


The ladies who follow this
strange mode of procuring a living
are in every instance respectable.
They are generally led to it by the
tempting offers of the


LARGE PAY WHICH IS GIVEN.
for their work. Oftentimes ladies
of wealth, who are proud of their
charms, and whose vanity exceeds
their prudence, act in this capa-
city for some skillful artist. In the
celebrated picture of the Nine
Muses. which created such a fu-
rore a few years since, the figures
there represented were of living
subjects from different parts of the
globe, one being reported to be the
wife OF a wealthy resident of New
York, and another of large mer-.
chant of Chicago. .l..sg. ....


1t is related of the Partisan ar
lists that they seem totally uncon-
scious of the presence of the model
until she is ready to, leave, when
they strain every nerve to ascer-
tain, if possible, who she is. But
some of the 5oldef Of these girls
calmly sit down before the class
and proceed to lace up their shoes
with as much nonchalance as if
she were at home. Very fortu-
Dately, however, we have not ar
rived at that stage of. shameless
ness in PhiladelphIa.