Then the work passes to the
middle-ground painters, who have their half-tone pots within easy reach.
After that the foreground men take it up, and the figurists put in the
men and animals. That man there has been painting that foreground cow
ever since the first of August. He can now put her in three and a half
times in fifteen minutes, and will probably rise to sixteen cows an hour
by the end of this month. These girls do nothing but put white-caps to
waves. There's a great demand at present for the windy marine. This next
room is devoted to portraits to order. You see that row of old ladies
without heads, each holding a pair of spectacles, and with one finger in
the Bible to keep the place; that's very popular, and we put in a head
when the photograph is sent. There is a great rage at present for
portraits of babies without any clothes on. Here is a lot of undraped
infants with bodies all finished, but with no heads. We can finish them
to order at very short notice. I have one girl who puts in all the
dimples. You would be surprised to see what a charming dimple she can
make with one twist of her brush. Long practice at one thing, sir, is
the foundation of the success of this great establishment. Take that
girl away from her dimple-pot, and she is nothing.
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