Studio: international art (27.1903)

Student Life in Paris

"A BYE-STREET, MONTMARTRE" FROM A PHOTOGRAPH

BY CUVE HOLLAND

working there, and he himself looks in occasion-
ally. And, in addition, the noiiveau can put in a
little time at the Beaux Arts as well, if he wants to.

"Besides," urges Johnson, who has stuck up
manfully for his old school, " if you want to pick
up a model at any time they are right there on
the carrefour—heaps of them—Old Antonio, who
sits for Shylock and old men; Paolo, who's just
fine for St. John; that little devil of a Suzanne,
who only comes when she feels like it; and a
host of others."

So Colarossi's it is.

Space counts for a good deal at Colarossi's ;
and so when the nouveau a day or two later
climbs the stairs with Johnson, who is going to act
as sponsor, he finds them narrow, steep, and leading
past a veritable nest of ateliers, located one above
another. He has passed beneath the quizzical eye
of the massier, who comes out intermittently from
his tiny " lodge-like " lair to scrutinise each person
passing by, with the disconcerting knowledge
that, the scrutinised at least, he bears the stamp
of nouveau all over.

The life class to which Johnson introduced him
was cosmopolitan enough. An Englishman or
two, a few Americans, a couple of Japanese, a
coloured gentleman, Poles, Austrians, French,
38

Russians; girls and fellows all hard at work
wilh the model posed, and just for the nonce too
busy to guy the nouveau. Happy being !

In the Quarter acquaintances are soon made,
and by the end of the morning's work several
of the students had chummed up with the
nouveau with the bonhomie which is by no
means the least pleasing feature of workers in
the schools.

The nouveau will find that he has a lot to
unlearn when he crosses the Channel to plunge
into the actuality of Parisian modern art.
M. Raphael Collin will probably criticise his
flesh tints and modelling, for criticism is of a
severe type at Colarossi's. And much of the
doubtless " sound " theoretical but unintelligent
learning he has picked up will have to be dis-
carded. In a short time he will, however, find
his feet and method, and then he will work, if he
is worth anything ; and if he is not —well, the
Quarter is not the best place in the world for
him. There is always plenty of human wreck-
age floating about in the Quarter; and the
tragedy of unfulfilled promise, unaccomplished
hopes, is closely knit with student life.

The rivalry of a school like Colarossi's is keen

"IN THE LUXEMBOURG " FROM A PHOTOGRAPH

BY CLIVE HOLLAND