The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 5, 1899, Page 25

Somz of ARTIST MODELS OF SAN FRANCISCO Greater Varieties to Be Fouod Here Than Anywhere Else on Account of the Cosmopolitan Character AN FRANCISCO painters do not have to go to New York or Paris to find good models, for our Lat- in quarter is productive of mod- els worthy of a Parisian atelier. Unlike the models of Paris, how- ever, who from infancy on through the seven ages have made the art of posing their lifework, the San Francisco mod- els are not born, but are forced to it through adverse circumstances, or are “discovered” by some artist. One instance of the former class is that of a beautiful woman now posing at one of the studios. Her father is a major in the English army, but through an unfortunate marriage the daughter is so reduced to be glad of this way of making an honest living. Not many years ago only one female model could be found in San Francisco who would pose for “the altogether” for the “life ¢ as it is called; but as now there are several. Tim s, too, when in der to ob- tain a model of any description, an advertisement had to be put in the pa- pers, sometimes for several days in succession, before any one would ap- ply. Now models call daily at the stu- dios, and have & regular round of sit- tings. When a model is “discovered” by a painter, he is not long in becom- ing known, and a good model is Kept busy -posing from early morning until late at ht. Since the Chi e have become a fad with many artists, the studios are overrun with applicants from - the Flowery Kingdom, and all kinds and conditions of Celestials from the lame, halt or bind peddler to the sleek, well- chant, apply as models. since San Francisco has been turned into a veritable soldiers’ camp, the “soldier boy” model has be- come a frequent applicant at the art schools and studios. Charles Rollo Peters has taken advantage of him in his recent paintings. The various athletic clubs and our two universities -furnish models for the life classes, strong, well-built young men, who are working their way through college. A Berkeley student has been posing as a football hero at one of the studios, while from the Acme and Olympic clubs have come Singer, Rose, Howard Brewer and other splerdid models. The picturesque old men and women models are found in the slums and the Latin quarter. Parhaps the best known and most of the City. beautiful female model who ever posed for the painters of San Francisco is ‘orinne Tilton, always spoken of as Corinne.” She is not only beautiful in figu but she has a wonderfully beautiful face. Corinne, with her splen- did proportions and her artistic feeling, is the idol of the studios. She has posed prominent painter in San “Portugee Joe,” or, as some call him, “The Pirate,” is a most interesting model as tudy of an old man. .l- though he is 79 years of age and has led a wild life before the mast and as a whaler, he still retains the suppleness of youth, and his eyes are as bright as a pickaninny's. His hair and beard re not long and white, the mode af- fected by most old men models; but, instead, he h a clean-shaven face and looks like a Dominican monk. #e has posed for everything from an Italian fruit vender to a mendicant friar, and takes each pose with fine feeling. He is now posing in a large painting by John Stanton as a monk standing with bowed head among the Monterey cy- presses while the “Angelus’” rings out at the old Carmel Mission behind the hills. This picture will be hung at the Bohemian Club Christmas exhibition. A comparatively new model but one in great demand at the studios ‘s Miss Aimee Henderson, who has made her- self locally famous by posing for Miss Maren Froelich’s ballet girls. She is considered a splendid subject, and she can pose equally well as a study of. a girl “standing with reluctant feet where the brook and river meet,” or a ballet girl a little the worse for an empty champagne glass and a tattered ballet flounce. Her smile is one of her chief charms, for, as Miss Froelich puts it, she can smile to order. “Now give me a merry footlight smile,” and Miss Henderson's piquant face is dimpling all over “with a naughty little twinkle in her eye.” “Now I shall want a nervous smile, for this ballet girl is making her first appearance.” Miss Henderson's face immediately takes an expression of uncertain cheer- fulness, which deplcts the sink-or- swim, live-or-die expression of the debutante. She excels, too, in that long, narrow Anna Held smile—the cham- pagne smile, that dizzy, frizzy smile of the “wee sma’ hours.” Another favorite model at the studio is an old man, known only as ‘“the soak.” He is always intoxicated, but the artists say he can take a pose and keep it and s a most satisfactory model. He is best when impersonating himself—with a glass and a bottle. His only fault as a model is that he will talk while sitting. THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, th: Bz:st Artists’ On one occasion recently, before a class of students, he mounted the model’s throne and, after taking the pose with a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, he said in a rather ick voice, punctuated with frequent icks,” “Now looky here; any fool can get d-d-drunk, but it t-t-takes a clever fellow to a-a-act drunk on the stage.” Among the Turks Boustros Helivee is considered the best model, and he, prides himself upon posing in his own Turkish costumes, which were import- ed from Turkey. Mrs. Wildy is another model who is exceptionally well proportioned. She Po “for the altogether,” and is con- sidered a splendid subject. Her story is a sad one of a young woman having to pose in order to support herself and others. She looks upon her occupation in a very-professional way, and has gained the respect and sympathy of all the painters and students in town. She posed for the Angel and for the God- dess of History, modeled by Douglas Tilden; also for ' several pictures by Arthur Matthews. She is the model P00 00000000060606 Modsls in San Francisco who poses at the Best studio, the only studio in San Francisco where the life class composed of both men and women. Nicolaus Ethemer. Theodoziantis is the classical name of a Greek who i not only a_famous niodel here, but has posed in the Paris ateliers. He is the original of the famous panel of “The Old Man With the Harp.” The American girl in the new calen- dar of Gertrude Partington is, in redl- ity, Miss Alma de Bretville. ~Miss de Bretville does not class herself as a modei, though she has posed for por- s'and draped figures for a great artists. She is a specimen of the Franco- American type. She is 5 feet 10 inches in height and looks like a Juno. . She has wonderful _coloring and a spténdid figure. Miss de Bretville is very am- bitious to become an artist herself, and poses only in order to make money to accomplish that end. She has posed for Yates, Greenbaum, the Partingtons magnificent and for the beautiful miniatures of Miss Edger] The Misses Hemphill are splendid portrait models, one of the sisters hav- ing posed for Gibson at one.time. Owing to our extreme cosmopolitan population any kind of a model can be found here. Jessie and Natoma streets abound in fine negro models. We have the French quarter with Kate Bozar, Suzette Bons And scores of other professional models of the French type; the city front furnishes picturesque ‘“tars” and sailors, the Chinese, the Turk, the Greek, the Spaniard, the “wild West” model—all of these we have in abundance and iIn great variety. And we have' half a hundred lovely California beauties awaiting a Califor- nia Gibson to immortalize them and make them as famous as did 'the New York Gibson the beautiful Miss Lang- shorne - of ;Virginia, now his ‘“model wife.” CPOOOOO0000000000 O TALKS WITH THE . EMPRESS OF @USTRIA Continued from Page Seventeen. found her seated' in the middle of the room at a table covered in white, on which stood a silver toflet mirror and writing materials. The Empress sat on a low chair, a dressing mantle of lace and cambric over her black gown and her hair streaming in beautiful waves around -her. Behind her stood Mme. Feifalik, in a black gown with a train, a cambric apron before her, taking up one hair after the other. No wonder the operation lasted two hours. When the beautiful streaming locks had been plaited and raised to a crown on the Empress’ head a strange ceremony took place. The hairdresser presented a silver dish, on which lay the few hairs that the dressing had cost that day. A look of reproach from the Em- press, a deprecating glance from the hair- dresser, and she retired. On board ship the hairdressing took just as long, and in stormy weather the Empress allowed herself to be tied to a chair. This was the time when the Emperor would pay her visits and the Greek was allowed to re- main, but the conversation was held in Hungarian, which he did not understand. The Empress did not pretend to advise her husband, for when he had left she said: *I have been deep-in politics with the Emperor now. I wish I could help him, but T do not care for politics.” They do not interest me, and in my opinion they are not worth a thought.” Her Bad Penmanship. Through Christomanos’ is enthusiadtic in the praise of the Empress’ doings down to the merest detail and trifle he cannot help describing her awkwardness as a penwoman. - She wrote very fast and held her pen with cramped fingers, prob- ably because no master dared admonish the little Priucess. Her page was always full of blots and she took blotting paper and with the ball of her thumb thumped upon it to dry it. She looked like a little child when she did this. As he watched her she said: “You are admiring my bad writing. itself to be corrected.” During a conversa- tion on a book she began to speak of wo- men’s emancipation. g ‘Women should be free,’ she said,, ‘but as to the higher education, I am against SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3§, It is like myself—will not dllow . 1899. it. The less a woman learns the more precious she is; then she will know eve: thing out of herself ,Whatever he learns it takes her -out of herself and gives her grammar and logic instead of feeling. In the countries where women learn nothing they are much deeper be- ings than our blues.” ‘Walking in Schonbrunn while it rained wet sleet and: they jumped over puddles she sald: *“We hop about like frogs in a ditch. There are people for whom this would be hell. Yesterday a lady boasted to me how she ascended a glacier—in sum- mer, of course, and with two guides to in Their Tlost Characteristic Poses. drag her up. I should like to see her here. She would think me mad if she knew I was walking in such weather. “I lo uch weather. It is not for the other: t is for me alone, like poor King Louis’. theatrical performances, which he alone attended. But it is ever so much finer out here.” v fortnight the toilet lesson was omitted. It was when the Empress had her beautiful halr washed--an opera- tion* which took five hours. The teacher was admitted while the hair dried. In some parts of Christomanos’ diary he would repeat sayings by the Empress without explaining when and where she said them. Thus she sald: ‘‘Men have B e e B o SR R S S S o e o o o e e are unrivaled. them so charming, may cents must be considered. until the luncheon hour. cation again. ing. classes. R R R R R R S R R e R R R R S S S S e L TP PPN Paris, Munich or even New York. pe D o R SR R e b R o e T e b R R LIFE OF A PROFESSIONAL MODEL. By Annie Henderson. OST people imagine a studio {s enchanted ground, and artist | and his model live a fairy-tale existence. throw aside that illusion, and peep behind when the artist is not “at home’ to the general public. is hard at work, and for real hard, honest work he and his model So many will ask, “Is it easy to pose?” jolly it must be, going from one studio to another.” reader is invited to peep into the studio for a day. buy these pictures and weave such romances about them and think come to stern reality and see selves how little, if any, romance there is in the business. Most artists demand the model's presence at 9 or 9:30 o’clock in the morning, or at 1, should it be in the afternoon, class may consume a quarter of an hour more. be ten or twelve blocks away, which means a walk, for the model earns too little to afford the luxury of a ride, and even 10 or 15 When she reaches the studio the street gown must be changed for the costume in which she is to pose, and when ready she mounts the “throne,” gets into position, and take the attitude suggested by the artist. quarter or a half an hour is expected to hold the pose; and when it is a standing position, be assured it is no easy matter. lows a rest for five or ten minutes, and so-on through the morning ‘When a man or woman applies for a position the beginner is given little encouragement, and has a troublesome time, but a model who is thoroughly experienced and The first question asked generally is, “Have you ever posed?” “For whom?” or perhaps “Who sent you?” and almost always “Do you pose nude?” and then, “Have you a good figure?” All the questions answered, the artist will drawl out, “Well, T don’t need a model just now, but should I require one I will for you, 0 leave me your address,” And ten chances to one nothing will ever be heard from the appli- As a rule models who do not often pose for classes prefer to sit for the male artist, as most of the women who paint are almost too exact- The men seem to realize more readlly how very hard it is for a girl to maintain silence for such a length of time and are lenient, 8o when a sigh or perhaps a little restlessness on the model’s part is noticed the welcome word of ‘“Rest!” is heard and the model will no doubt rush for a chair like a fond mother to her long lost child. Some models become so accustomed to standing that they become hardened, -as it were, and unconscious of surroundings. There are so many different kinds of raodels required here that it is really a study in itself. For instance, one artist in town revels in old men with flowing beards, while afother excels in dainty, fascinat- ing little heads of girls, and still ‘another chooses children for his Again a preference is shown by some for a matured face in which the lines caused by sorrow and happiness, Dame Nature's two beautifiers, make so interesting a study. Models in San Francisco are so poorly paid and have so little chance to pose it is hard to make a living. For though there are so many very clever artists, the field is hardly a fraction of the size of But for an instant the studio door He Others will say, “How But again the Then you, who for your- or perhaps a The studio may She is then ready, and for a Then fol- well known has no difficulty. send ete. R R R R R R R B o S O B S e O S Rt R R o e S R R noF their minds in common, but their fate. Most people are unhappy because they re. fuse to comply with necessity. If we can- not be happy in our own way we must take to loving our trials. That alone gives peace, and . peace is the beautiful on earth. Beauty is the cause and end of all thing: On Faithless Wives. Then she said: ‘“People ask why women are faithless to their husbands. It is very simple: Because they MUST be faithful. The law makes them wish to transgress it. And, by the way, love has wings to fly away with.” She ‘warned Christomanos of some persons at court, and when he protested that surely all were devoted she said: “Oh, yes; people are devoted to the Empress. Perhaps I should thank God for having made me an Empress! Where should I be if I were something else? People love me because ‘they are Some- thing through me.” When Christomanos told her he had seen her sister, the Duch: of Alencon, in Innsbruck, she asked: “Did you see her big dog? Whom did you think handsomer—herself or her dog? She would never forgive you if you did not admire her dog.'” Once Christomanos found her dressed for a drive in a black faille dress hemmed with ostrich feathers hanging from the rings of her gymnastic appa- ratus. He ys she looked like a bird or a serpent. To get down she had to jump over a rope. She explained that she had to receive some archduchesses and was dressed for their sakes. “If they knew I had done gymnastics in this r she said, “they would freeze to ‘While out walking they talked of Gabriel Rossetti and Burne- She sald: “These are souls who been in the world before, and have come back to dream the dreams of men and women past and gone.” When she showed Chris collection of horse portraits “See, these are all friends I and I have no new ones, Many of them have suffered death for me—a thing no man would do; rather they would mur- der me.” Disliked Adulation. Christomanos expressed surprise that she could walk for many hours without tiring. She said: _“I and my sisters owe that to my father, who regarded walking as -a'high art, and had us taught by a special master. My sisters, the Duchess of Alencon and the Queen of Naples, are famous for their walking in Pa But we none of us walk as Queens should walk. The Bourbons, all of them, who scarcely ever tread the ground out of doors, have taught themselves a peculiar walk—the walk__of proud geese. They walk like true Kings She did not s take Christomanos’ ecstatic praise seriously. When he insisted that she was the magician be- fore whom tree and flower bowed and the wild beasts of the forest withdrew she said: “Why, it is the rattle that makes the wild boar turn and run. Besides, he would not_eat you; he prefers truffles.” When he declaimed upon fthe sweet odor of the lemon trees in Corfu she said: “And yet the lemons are so sour!” And when in Miramar he went crazy over the sunset_and asked her to see how the ines, bathed in gold and purple curtains, Rung the sky, she answered with a verse from her favorite poet, Heine, to the ef- fect that he might keep heart, for it was an old story that the sun went uown on one side and came up again on the other. Her Confessions of Faith. AR my palace should be sacred to Achilles,” she said, “because he personi- fies the Greek soul to me and the beauty of man and of the land. I love him be- cause his feet were so fleet. He was strong and defiant and ‘despised kings and traditions and thought nothing of the masses of men, but considered them good enough to be mown by the hand of death like the fields of corn. He believed noth- ing to be sacred but his owa will and lived alone in his dreams, and his sadness was more to him than all his strong 1ife.” There was a confession of faith,