essays and lectures-第30节

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on　their　work　are　the　traces　of　their　hand。　　But　it　is　not　so　with

the　painter；　it　is　not　so　with　the　artist。



Art　should　have　no　sentiment　about　it　but　its　beauty；　no　technique

except　what　you　cannot　observe。　　One　should　be　able　to　say　of　a

picture　not　that　it　is　'well　painted；'　but　that　it　is　'not

painted。'



What　is　the　difference　between　absolutely　decorative　art　and　a

painting？　　Decorative　art　emphasises　its　material：　　imaginative　art

annihilates　it。　　Tapestry　shows　its　threads　as　part　of　its　beauty：

a　picture　annihilates　its　canvas：　　it　shows　nothing　of　it。

Porcelain　emphasises　its　glaze：　　water…colours　reject　the　paper。



A　picture　has　no　meaning　but　its　beauty；　no　message　but　its　joy。

That　is　the　first　truth　about　art　that　you　must　never　lose　sight

of。　　A　picture　is　a　purely　decorative　thing。









LONDON　MODELS









PROFESSIONAL　models　are　a　purely　modern　invention。　　To　the　Greeks；

for　instance；　they　were　quite　unknown。　　Mr。　Mahaffy；　it　is　true；

tells　us　that　Pericles　used　to　present　peacocks　to　the　great　ladies

of　Athenian　society　in　order　to　induce　them　to　sit　to　his　friend

Phidias；　and　we　know　that　Polygnotus　introduced　into　his　picture　of

the　Trojan　women　the　face　of　Elpinice；　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　undoubtedly　made　constant　studies　from　their　pupils　and

apprentices；　and　even　their　religious　pictures　are　full　of　the

portraits　of　their　friends　and　relations；　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　direct　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。　　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　painter'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　the　ARGOT　of　the　ATELIER　as　cleverly　as　the　critic

of　the　GIL　BLAS。　　The　English　models　form　a　class　entirely　by

themselves。　　They　are　not　so　picturesque　as　the　Italian；　nor　so

clever　as　the　French；　and　they　have　absolutely　no　tradition；　so　to

speak；　of　their　order。　　Now　and　then　some　old　veteran　knocks　at　the

studio　door；　and　proposes　to　sit　as　Ajax　defying　the　lightning；　or

as　King　Lear　upon　the　blasted　heath。　　One　of　them　some　time　ago

called　on　a　popular　painter　who；　happening　at　the　moment　to　require

his　services；　engaged　him；　and　told　him　to　begin　by　kneeling　down

in　the　attitude　of　prayer。　　'Shall　I　be　Biblical　or　Shakespearean；

sir？'　asked　the　veteran。　　'Well　…　Shakespearean；'　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　knelt　down　and　began　to　wink　with　his

left　eye！　　This　class；　however；　is　dying　out。　　As　a　rule　the　model；

nowadays；　is　a　pretty　girl；　from　about　twelve　to　twenty…five　years

of　age；　who　knows　nothing　about　art；　cares　less；　and　is　merely

anxious　to　earn　seven　or　eight　shillings　a　day　without　much

trouble。　　English　models　rarely　look　at　a　picture；　and　never

venture　on　any　aesthetic　theories。　　In　fact；　they　realise　very

completely　Mr。　Whistler's　idea　of　the　function　of　an　art　critic；

for　they　pass　no　criticisms　at　all。　　They　accept　all　schools　of　art

with　the　grand　catholicity　of　the　auctioneer；　and　sit　to　a

fantastic　young　impressionist　as　readily　as　to　a　learned　and

laborious　academician。　　They　are　neither　for　the　Whistlerites　nor

against　them；　the　quarrel　between　the　school　of　facts　and　the

school　of　effects　touches　them　not；　idealistic　and　naturalistic　are

words　that　convey　no　meaning　to　their　ears；　they　merely　desire　that

the　studio　shall　be　warm；　and　the　lunch　hot；　for　all　charming

artists　give　their　models　lunch。



As　to　what　they　are　asked　to　do　they　are　equally　indifferent。　　On

Monday　they　will　don　the　rags　of　a　beggar…girl　for　Mr。　Pumper；

whose　pathetic　pictures　of　modern　life　draw　such　tears　from　the

public；　and　on　Tuesday　they　will　pose　in　a　peplum　for　Mr。　Phoebus；

who　thinks　that　all　really　artistic　subjects　are　necessarily　B。C。

They　career　gaily　through　all　centuries　and　through　all　costumes；

and；　like　actors；　are　interesting　only　when　they　are　not

themselves。　　They　are　extremely　good…natured；　and　very

accommodating。　　'What　do　you　sit　for？'　said　a　young　artist　to　a

model　who　had　sent　him　in　her　card　（all　models；　by　the　way；　have

cards　and　a　small　black　bag）。　　'Oh；　for　anything　you　like；　sir；'

said　the　girl；　'landscape　if　necessary！'



Intellectually；　it　must　be　acknowledged；　they　are　Philistines；　but

physically　they　are　perfect　…　at　least　some　are。　　Though　none　of

them　can　talk　Greek；　many　can　look　Greek；　which　to　a　nineteenth…

century　painter　is　naturally　of　great　importance。　　If　they　are

allowed；　they　chatter　a　great　deal；　but　they　never　say　anything。

Their　observations　are　the　only　BANALITES　heard　in　Bohemia。

However；　though　they　cannot　appreciate　the　artist　as　artist；　they

are　quite　ready　to　appreciate　the　artist　as　a　man。　　They　are　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　present；　and

received　in　return　a　nice　letter　of　thanks　with　the　following

remarkable　postscript：　　'Never　eat　the　green　ices！'



When　they　are　tired　a　wise　artist　gives　them　a　rest。　　Then　they　sit

in　a　chair　and　read　penny　dreadfuls；　till　they　are　roused　from　the

tragedy　of　literature　to　take　their　place　again　in　the　tragedy　of

art。　　A　few　of　them　smoke　cigarettes。　　This；　however；　is　regarded

by　the　other　models　as　showing　a　want　of　seriousness；　and　is　not

generally　approved　of。　　They　are　engaged　by　the　day　and　by　the

half…day。　　The　tariff　is　a　shilling　an　hour；　to　which　great　artists

usually　add　an　omnibus　fare。　　The　two　best　things　about　them　are

their　extraordinary　prettiness；　and　their　extreme　respectability。

As　a　class　they　are　very　well　behaved；　particularly　those　who　sit

for　the　figure；　a　fact　which　is　curious　or　natural　according　to　the

view　one　takes　of　human　nature。　　They　usually　marry　well；　and

sometimes　they　marry　the　artist。　　For　an　artist　to　marry　his　model

is　as　fatal　as　for　a　GOURMET　to　marry　his　cook：　　the　one　gets　no

sittings；　and　the　other　gets　no　dinners。



On　the　whole　the　English　female　models　are　very　naive；　very

natural；　and　very　good…humoured。　　The　virtues　which　the　artist

values　most　in　them　are　prettiness　and　punctuality。　　Every　sensible

model　consequently　keeps　a　diary　of　her　engagements；　and　dresses

neatly。　　The　bad　season　is；　of　course；　the　summer；　when　the　artists

are　out　of　town。　　However；　of　late　years　some　artists　have　engaged

their　models　to　follow　them；　and　the　wife　of　one　of　our　most

charming　painters　has　often　had　three　or　four　models　under　her

charge　in　the　country；　so　that　the　work　of　her　husband　and　his

friends　should　not　be　interrupted。　　In　France　the　models　migrate　EN

MASSE　to　the　little　seaport　villages　or　forest　hamlets　where　the

painters　congregate。　　The　English　models；　however；　wait　patiently

in　London；　as　a　rule；　till　the　artists　come　back。　　Nearly　all　of

them　live　with　their　parents；　and　help　to　support　the　house。　　They

have　every　qualification　for　being　immortalised　in　art　except　that

of　beautiful　hands。　　The　hands　of　the　English　model　are　nearly

always　coarse　and　red。



As　for　the　male　models；　there　is　the　veteran　whom　we　have　mentioned

above。　　He　has　all　the　traditions　of　the　grand　style；　and　is

rapidly　disappearing　with　the　school　he　represents。　　An　old　man　who

talks　about　Fuseli　is；　of　course；　unendurable；　and；　besides；

patriarchs　have　ceased　to　be　fashionable　subjects。　　Then　there　is

the　true　Academy　model。　　He　is　usually　a　man　of　thirty；　rarely

good…looking；　but　a　perfect　miracle　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　models。　　The

supply　of　these　is　limited；　but　there　are　always　about　a　dozen　in

London。　　They　are　very　much　s