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Show 1 " 1 11 w ' H i, I J7 'tK. Sf 1 I Sfte Has a Horror of Clothes, B 1 Loves the Gayety of Bohemian irjr iff I 1 I life, Srps file Nectar ot Golden jj - ywp mKnBB I j;L psfre, butThis IsAJIWrong! J I I Is Hard, Exacting Work, lv I jf By AMELIA ROSE. V j Q im:e tho days of barefooted Trilby and or X- v ; ' mT Little Blllie and Svengali, raucb nonsense j 4 has become current misinformation about the ir&JI E I Studios are 't 1 II presumably pay and hilarious times that wake u IM - - a 1 I up tbe lives of artists' models. The masculine not all "marble iff i-ll element in that fictitious realm has been rep- halls" With jl - resented as a strange assortment of men who . . , Tflw "' Url costly tapestry uaJTrnSSfltfiA pursue art in idle hrr.jrs Pei onifying tbe in- liMmaTsTESo&trMitl tense feminine element is tbe model -who be- a 1USS S If iff IbVi I if I ? u i 1 c s and inspires these ariisis, Snr hac been Mil Ifff'fKEnf I If . tfl charged with having a horror of clothes. Posing Mil 1 f 1 1 M0mW T without them has been hei daily diversion. J Wealth is showered on her with spasmodic sen- ftJ I f B. erosity on the gay Rialtos and in the Bohemias. y j I Y She na9 always been gay and has lived a swift E4 but sure life while it lasted I This is what the romancer's imagination did QL Hi ith the girl who poses for the artists. But as a is ft matter of fact the life of tbe model 13 something - Ill (s W Aor7 -1 A kay A rs byss Ross' I ill l Amelia Rose, professional i UJ wll model, who has posed for jj if many well known artista I " " 1 jsJ and sculptors. different from all that. The profession of posing, pos-ing, like any other profession in which women are engaged Is something for which one must develop a talent, and that talent must be reinforced rein-forced by certain physical attributes. It is not true tnat only those possessed of ;reat physical beauty have a chance in the profession. pro-fession. Thore Is beauty of soul as well as beauty of form It ts not enouch that the model be very beautiful She must know how to pose with intelligence, expression and grace. She must have perfect command over her muscles A model may be flexible and alert and yet bo unable to "stay put" in the poso long enough to give the appearance of llfe-llkeness. She may hae perfect features and yet be unable to ro-spond ro-spond to tbe artist In bis demand (Or a certain pxpression. The model most in demand Is the talented girl who has learned the technique of her profession, one who Is able to understand what the artist wants, and whose spirit and intelligence in-telligence come out to moot the- requirements be may suggest. Technique is as important in our work as in dancing or the art of pantomime There are models who pose only for the head. Others for the shoulders, others for the arras, and some who pose io the nude. I have posed a great deal for the bead, especially in pictures where my eyes and bair were serviceable I learned long ago that the mood or expression la as Important as the form in posiu. 1 have posed for sculptors, painters, illustrators photographers, photogra-phers, in moving picture, musical plays and posing pos-ing acts in vaudeville. How did I happen 'o get into this profession? Pretty much as girls get Into other lines. Accident, Acci-dent, persistence or previous training usually figure In the selection of ones work. I wa6 left an orphan at the age of twelve and was compelled com-pelled to earn my livelihood I was working as a can girl In a department store when an artist eamo to me one day and asked me to pose for him. I was glad to accept an opportunity to work Sundays and evenings. When I became- con--lnced that 1 had ability as a model I gave up my work in the stor and began my career in earnest. Tho first artist t ho hired me gave me the names and addresses of other artists, and each in turn recommended me to their friends It was not long before I "knew tho ropes" and was able to go about my profession like any self-reliant self-reliant girl who takes pains to be as proficient as she can at whatever .she undertakes to do I am proud to say that I hae taken care of myself since childhood, and that I have always been entirely independent. I was really brought up in the studios and my experiences were mostly most-ly pleasant. Artists as a rule treat their models with respect. They have been good friends and big brothers to me, and I thin!. I can I like them aii though there are some I like better than other. Some of them 1 have known all along since my childhood Ii n not true that money is likely to be showered shower-ed on a successful model I l,nnv: from my own experience that a model is doing very well if she can earn the salary of a good stenographer. To do this she must work from six to eight hours a day six davs a week For many years the pay was fifty cents an hour, but in tbe past few years, since the cost of living has gone up, models have been getting 75 cents or a dollar an hour-When hour-When one takes into account the time spent in looking for posing engagements, the limited time at our disposal owing to the artist's requirements of light, and the necessary rsts it Is easy to imagine that the life of a model is not a bed of roses Posing is a fcroat physical and nervous strain. It Is terribly wearing There were times when I could not keep H up, and these were the times when I took engagements in musical plays or straight drama working in tbe chorus or In small parts, or I am a little bit of an actress too. Artists an a class are never so well provided with money that they are able to pay very much for their models. Many of th&m are so poor that it is a great struggle for them to be able to engage models. There are artists who get larv:6 sums for their pictures and aro able to get models whenover they want them. But tho money paid to the model Is always about tho same. The successful artiste are not so numer- i 555 l -ut .t'LiiiJ.i-S oas as to contradict the fact that the average artist is engaged in an uphill struggle until he reaches middle or old age, and even then he is onlv moderately successful. There are times when his work must wait on inspiration. He cannot always produce at will. And while in-spiratlon in-spiratlon is rescind, the artist must live, pay his rent, and at the same time make a proper showing show-ing in the social forld. This i particularly true !f he is a portrait painter. Then, after a pic-turo pic-turo Is finished the artist may wait years before he can sell it. A model may rema;ii in the profession a long time, almost indefinitely. It depends on bow much care she takes of herself, how well she has kept tho youtbfulness of her figure and face, and what sort of life she has led. Nobody knows belter bel-ter than tbe model that the life one lives shows in tbe face and form Much depends on how kindly Father Time deals with her, but it is essential es-sential that her life be free from dissipation As a rule the model who is serious and has regular I habits wins out over certain competitors who pre- 1 lend to consider life a huge jest and a quest for a glad days and merry nights. Artists are not inclined in-clined to fancy the girl who flaunts her profes- ; sion In the face of the public. The girl who takes her work seriously Is generally better liked than the one who does posing as a mere incident in a life of dissipation. My experience has taught me that success can be attained only by sincerity, devotion and a life that preserves the health of the body. The model must be very careful to avoid any physical ailments. ail-ments. She must not be irregular or unpunctual For although art :ts may be said to be unmethodical un-methodical in their lives, I have found that they are as punctual and exacting and business-like with regard to their work as any other class of men The erratic thing about an artist Is his creative genius, which becomes uncontrollable at times, but meanwhile the model does her best to pose as he wants her to. It is my belief that the experienced model Is Just as valuable a member of society, just as faithful and as proper in every way even though she pone In the nude as are the young women who are engaged In any other profession. 9 -"-5 D |
