Studio: international art (5.1895)

Newlyn as a Sketching Ground

fleet; they are not prettily painted and dotted all much amused at the idea of the thing ; it looks

over with bright and gaudy colours, but are dirty too comical to see a man with his hands in his

and grimy, and look like what they are ; but their pockets, clinging, gripping, and cuddling the iron

rig is infinitely more picturesque than that of the railing along the top of the cliff with his arms and

Cornish lugger. From an artistic point of view, legs, preferring that kind of amusement, or laziness,

both men and boats are more to be admired; and to going to sea or earning a little money by posing,

one should also remember the sterling quality of A stranger or visitor to Newlyn would instantly

the " Lowestofters " as men of labour. notice this curious habit, and could not help but

The street scenes in Newlyn lack nothing of sub- be struck by it. If the supply of " mackerel" and

ject for the painter ; paved with cobble stones, some " dried 'ake " was to cease, I don't know how the

of the narrow streets are occasionally strewn over fishermen would live ; as it is, their strength is

with fish-heads and entrails, so that one's progress nothing in comparison to their stature.

"NEWLYN BOATS FROM A STUDY BY FRANK RICHARDS

in going " up or down-along " is sometimes con- Perhaps the greatest inconvenience we suffer

siderably facilitated by an alarmingly quick slide is the impossibility of obtaining nude models, at

to an unexpected destination. least from among the natives ; and I honestly

The houses are, some of them, thatched ; but the believe that if a painter commenced a nude

majority are slate-roofed and equally picturesque, subject and had a native model, he would suffer

excepting the new ones which are always an some insult from the folk—in all probability they

eyesore. The interiors, in many instances, are would " chuck'n over clift." The natives have

extremely fine. great ideas of morals—but alas ! However, we

There is one characteristic of the Newlynite I mustn't grumble; we receive at their hands many

have yet to mention, that is his unconquerable habit other things for which we should be duly thank-

of carrying his hands in his pockets. I once heard ful; for, being musical as most painters are,

a gentleman address a group of men on the cliff, will not a model give you gratis, at every sitting,

asking them if they were born with their hands in from two to ten songs—hymns always—in a guzzled-

their pockets. I did not hear their reply, but was gurgling sound situated somewhere in his throat ?
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