International studio (23.1904)

The Langhani Sketching Club


“a hot day”

were built to the order of the Society, and here
their home has been ever since. In the old days,
each member on joining was asked to pay ten
shillings ; after which his contribution consisted in
paying a share of the expenses—rent, light, model,
fees, etc. These were totalled up at the end of the
week, and settled out of pocket then and there.
Fines were imposed for non-attendance, unless
good excuses were forthcoming, and for a long
time those in office were kept busy, first imposing
these fines, then remitting them, or discussing the
means of enforcing their payment from men who
were the very best of good fellows but very light
of pocket.
It was during these early years that courses of
lectures on various subjects relative to art were
given. W. King Toase, a Fellow of the Linntean
Society, used to discourse on “Anatomy,” illus-
trating his talks by living models. Benjamin
Green gave advice on “ Perspective.” Some
other “talks” were given on “The Importance
of Trifles in Historical Design,” on “Pictorial
Composition”; and R. Cull gave frequent dis-
courses on “Phrenology as Applicable to Art.”
This last is extremely interesting to know, as at
this period phrenology, then regarded as a science,
was held in high favour and patronised by the
great and learned — many artists in those days,
Blake and Linnell among them, devoting much
attention to it as a branch of technical learning ;
but it has been altogether abandoned by the
modern painter.
At the time of the founding of this Society the
existence of the model in the private atelier was
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something almost unheard
of—in truth the amount
of drawing done from the
life was extremely small.
Whatever may have been
the degree of exactitude
which painters imposed
upon themselves, it is very
certain that they troubled
about the living model
very little. Every painter
established a convention
of the figure for himself,
and it is evident from
some of their work that
there was much of the
poet’s licence taken in the
jsy g. thomas drawing of muscles and
joints. The founding of
of the Artists’ Society was
ostensibly for the purpose of evening study from
the model.
The founders were all fully fledged artists, but
they felt the need of study and friendly suggestion
one from the other; and from their coming together

STUDY OK A HEAD

BY VAI. DAVIS