Lady Art Students in Paris

enterprising, less Bohemianly inclined, may take up
their abode in one or other of the pensions,' which
make a practice of catering for their needs. There
they will meet other lady art students, possibly even
lady medical students, would-be lady lawyers, and
lady dentists, with a sprinkling of other women who
have come to perfect themselves in the French
tongue, and have taken up their abode in one of
these solemn pensions of retrenchment by cheap
living. The inmates of these houses, although
presenting interesting types to the observer, do
not provide the romantic element which is so
fascinating a portion of the lives of their more
emancipated sisters. They are mostly attached to
the classes of the Academie Julian ; the Acaddmie
Colarossi (formerly the Academie Suisse), founded
as long ago as 1815; or to some other atelier.
Possibly even, they may be working under the eye
of an artist who takes pupils, instead of learning
their art in the more cosmopolitan environment

a nest of studios, from a photograph Of the AcaddmieS.

rue falguiere By cuve Holland Sometimes, however, two or more girl students

will club together, and run a little menage on the
co-operative system. Such a plan will enable them

general. How gay some of these little parties are ! to have a far larger studio than individually they

There is true Bohemian camaraderie about them could hope for ; to engage a good model by

and the visitors who attend them. [Some of the sharing the expense, which is so heavy an item in

art criticism would possibly make academic the cost of picture-making in Paris, as elsewhere;

critics writhej but it has the merits of outspoken- and to live more cheaply than they could do if

ness and point, which, alas ! are not always dis- merely catering for themselves singly.

tinguishing features of written art criticism. In The life of the schools is intensely interesting,

the evening, when the shadows begin to fall across often amusing, and sometimes even tragic. The

the bare floors of these studio-homes,

some one will sing, or perhaps—if the

owner of the studio possesses a piano,

some one will play on it or provide an

accompaniment for a violin solo ; for

the violin has always been a favoured

instrument in the Quarter, competing

not unsuccessfully in popularity with

the cornet a-piston of the male students.

And although the performers may not

be Marie Halls or Kubeliks, there is

something about the playing which fits

its surroundings and awakes sentiment

in the listeners. Memories, perhaps,

of some face seen for a moment in

passing, or some day in summer twi-
light spent on the silver Seine, in the

woods at Fontainebleau or in the

wide fields surrounding some Norman

or Breton hamlet frequented by painter-

f0[j. a famous artist's cafe, lately from a photograph

pulled down, and now rebuilt by clive holland

Those lady art students who are less on less artistic lines

227