oking out of a Champagne basket. The picture was
artistically taken, but the extravagant conceit of the surroundings,
utterly at variance with the original's character, completely spoiled
the picture. We have in mind also a famous belle sitting in an
elaborate toilet in a room full of books and materials for writing and
study, though all her little world knows that she never reads aught
but the lightest of novels, and never writes anything but an
invitation or a love-letter. Actresses taken in character may require
an elaborate artificial background in order to assist the illusion,
but private ladies, as a rule, look infinitely better without it.

In ladies' portraits the setting-off of beauty is the thing to be
borne in mind. This, in a photograph, is, in a great measure, a
question of lights and shadows, and of their distribution. For every
face there is a light and a shadow to be specially selected as the one
that will show it to the best advantage. The most becoming light is
one level with, or even somewhat beneath, the face, it being a great
mistake to suppose the foot-lights on the stage unbecoming. A top
light, such as we get in ordinary photographic rooms, augments the
projection of the forehead, and throws a deep shadow over the eyes.
The bridge of the nose, the lower lip, and chin separate themselves,
as it were, in clear lights, from the rest of the face, and such an
effect is very unbecoming and inappropriate for a young girl.

If the features are prominent, a clear bright light increases very
decidedly that prominence, and also imparts a peculiar hardness to the
expression that has probably no existence in the model. Therefore
insist that, as far as possible, the light from above shall be got rid
of, and a light from the side brought into use.

There is as much character in the human figure as in the face;
consequently full-length portraits are best, because they add to the
facial resemblance the attitude and peculiarities of the figure. If
the portrait is half-size, then the attitude ought to indicate the
position of the lower extremities. In bust portraits the head is
everything, the bust merely sustains and indicates its size and
proportion. The head, however, should never be represented without the
bust, for the effect of such a portrait is a total want of unity; it
offers no point of comparison by which the rest of the body can be
judged,--a matter of great importance, as this is one of the most
str