MODELS: THEIR MORALS AND THEIR MANNERS.

Western Star, Issue 1339, 23 March 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

MODELS: THEIR MORALS AND THEIR MANNERS.

Tbe English Illustrated for January has a capital article on "London Models," written by Mr Oscar Wilde and drawn by Mr Harder Pennington. Mr Oscar Wilde's letterpress in particular is very entertaining, aud lends an unaccustomed air of sprightlinees to the magazine. We give below sonr? extracts from the article : THE MODEL A MODERN INVENTION" Professional models (says Mr,Wilde) are a purely modern invention. To tbe Greeks, for instance, they were quite unknown. Mr Mahany, it is true, tells us that Perikles used to present peacocks to the great ladies of Athenian society, in order to induce them to sit to his friend Pheidias, and we know that Polygnotus introduced into his picture of the Trojan women the face of Elpinike, the celebrated sister of the great Conservative leader of the day, but these grandes dames clearly do not come under our category. As for the old masters, they undobtedly made constant studies from their pupils'and apprentices, and even their religious pictures were full of the portraits of their friends Jand relatione, but they do not seem to have had the inestimable advantage of the existence of a class of people whose sole profession is to pose. In fact the model, in our sense of the word, is the correct creation of academic schools.

Every country now has its own models, except America. In New York, and even in Boston, a good model is so great a rarity that most of the artists are reduced to painting Niagara and millionaires.

MODELS : FRENCH, ITALIAN, AND ENGLISH.

In Europe, however, it is. different. Here we have plenty of models, and of every nationality. The Italian models are the best. The natural grace of their attitudes, as well as the wonderful . picturesqueness of their colouring, makes them facile—often too facile—subjects for the oainter's brush. The French models, though not so beautiful as the Italian, possess a quickness of intellectual sympathy—a capacity, in fact, of understanding the artist—which is quite remarkable. They have also a great command over the varieties of facial expression, are peculiarly dramatic, and can chatter argot of the atelier as cleverly as the critis of the Gil. Bias. The English models form a class entirely by themselves. They are not so picturesque as the Italian, nor so clever as the French, an i they have absolutely no tradition, so to speak, of their order.

MODELS " FOR LANDSCAPE IF NECESSARY ! "

With regard to the catholicity of the model, Mr Wilde tells some good stories:—One of them, some time ago, called on a popular painter, who happened at the moment to require his services, engaged him, and toldi him to kneel down in the attitude of; prayer. ' Shall I be Biblical ori Shakespearian, sir 1 ' asked the veteran. 'Well—, Shakeapearian,' answered the artist, wondering by what subtle nuance of expression the model would convey the difference. ' All right, sir,' said the professor of posing, and he solemnly sat down and began to wink with his left eye!" Again, " What do you sit for 1 " asked a young artist to a model who had sent him in her card (all models by the way have cards and a small black hag). * Oh, for anythiug you like, sir," said the girl: landscape if necessary ! " NEVER EAT THE GREEN ICES !" And not only are models very accommodating, but they are also (says Mr Wilde) " very sensitive to kindness, respect and generosity. A beautiful model, who had sat for two years to one of our most distinguished English painters got engaged to a street vendor of penny ices. On her marriage the painter sent her a pretty wedding psesent, and received in return a nice letter of thanks, with the following remarkable poatcript-—" Never eat green ices."

MODELS AND MA.BKIAGE. A few models (says Mr Wilde) smoke cigarrettes. This, however, is regarded by the others as showing a want of seriousness, and is not generally approved of. The tariff is a shilling an hour, to which great artists usually add an omnibus fare. The two best things about them is their extraordinary prettiness and their extreme respectibility. \s a class, they are vtry well behaved, particularly those who ait for the figure, a face which is curious or natural, according to the view one takesjof human nature. They usually marry well, and sometimes they marry the artist. In neither case do they'ever sit again. For an artist to marry his model is as fatal as for a qoxvrmet to marry his cook; the one gets no sittings, and the other gets no dinners. THE APOTHEOSIS 01? ANATOMY. As for the male models, there is (says Mr Wilde)the veteran whom wo have mentioned above. He has all the traditions of style, and ie rapidly disappearing with the school he represents. An old man who talks about Fuseli is of course un x n<?urabl<\ and besides, partriarchs have caaaed to be fashionable subjects. Then there is the trua Academy mocLl. Kh is usually a man of thirty, rarely goodlooking, but a perfect m'racle of, muscles. In fact, he is the apotheosis

of anatomy, and is so conscious of his own splendour that he tells you of his tibia and his thorax as if no one else had anything of the kind. Then come the Oriental modelp. The supply of these is limited, but there are always about a dozen in London. They are very much sought after, as they can remain immobile for hours, and generally possess lovaly j costumes.. However, they have a poor opinion of English art, which they regard as something bet iveen a vulgar personality and a commonplace photograph. Next iwe have the Italian youth, who has eitber come over specially to be a model, or takes to it when his organ is out of repair. Ht is often quite charming, with his large melancholy eyes, his crisp hair, and his slim brown figure. It is true he eats garlic, but then he can stand like a faun and couch like a leopard, so he is forgiven. THE CIRCUS AS "AN OASIS OF HELLENISM.

Besides the professional posers of the Btudio there are (says Mr Wilde in conclusion) the posers of the Kow, the posers at afternoon teas, tbe posers in politics, and the circus posers. All four classes are delightful, but only the last class is ever really decorative. Acrobats and gymnasts can give the young painter infinite suggestions, for they bring into their art an element of swiftness, of motion, and of constant change that the studio model necessarily lacks. What is interesting in these "slaves of tne ring" is that with them beauty is an unconscious result, not a conscious aim, the result in fact, of the mathematical calculation of curves and distances, of absolute precision of eye, of tithe scientific knowledge of the equilibrium of forces, and of perfect physical training. A good acrobatis always graceful because he does wha be has to do in the best way it can be done—grateful because he is natural. If an ancient Greek were to come to life now, which, considering the probable severity of his criticisms, would be rather trying to our conceit. He would be found far offcener at the circus than at the theatre. A good circus is an oasis of Hellenism in a world that reads too much to fee wise, and thinks too much to be beautiful.

THE ACROBAT AS ARTIST. If it were not for the rnnningground at Eton, the towing-path at Oxford, the Thames swimming-baths, and the yearly circa see, humanity would forget the plastic perfection of its own form, and degenerate into a race of short sighted professorsand spectacle 'precieuses ! .Not that the circus proprietors arenas a rule, conscious of the high mission. Do they not bore us with the heute ecole, and weary us with Shakesperian clowns ? Still, ,at least, they give us acrobats, and the acrobat is an artist. The mere fact that he; never speaks to the audience shows how well he appreciates the great truth that the aim of art is not to reveal personality, but to please. The clown may be blatant, but the acrobat is always beautiful. He is'&n interesting combination of the spirit of Greeksculpture with the spangles of the modern costumier. He has even had his niche in the novels of our age, and if "Manette Salomon" be the unmasking of the mode', "Les Freres Zamganno" is the apotheosis of the acrobat.