Thomas Eakins (1844-1916)
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Thomas Eakins was an American painter born in Philadelphia, and has been called one of America’s greatest painters of all time. He painted in the Realist style, and began his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. From 1866-1870 he lived and studied in Europe, studying under Jean-Leon Gerome in Paris. During his time in Europe, he also traveled to Spain quite often, and was highly influenced by Diego Velazquez. This Spanish influence can be seen in many of his paintings, particularly in his own self-portrait, as well as his other portraits and genre scenes such as two of his best known paintings, “The Gross Clinic” and “The Agnew Clinic.”
In 1876, Eakins returned to the Pennsylvania Academy and became a noted and controversial teacher. Despite the fact that his unorthodox teaching methods, including instructing his students on how to draw nudes, he became the director of the academy in 1882. Despite the great strides that Eakins made, he was eventually fired by the board of directors in 1886 because he removed the loin cloth of a male model in the presence of female students.
After Eakins was fired from the academy, his output of work was deeply affected. He mainly painted portraiture from then on, but even these portraits benefited from his dedication to anatomy in art. Eakins also put something of a psychological angle on the portraits of his sitters, and truly captured their presence. For this reason, many of his portraits were rejected by his patrons, but remain evidence of his genius as a painter today.
Eakins early paintings were created by using motion studies captured on film. As a result, he painted many scenes of rowers, wrestlers or boxers, capturing them in motion. He also became known as a photographer, though he did not exhibit his photographs.
Eakins was lifelong friends with famous American poet Walt Whitman, and even painted his portrait.
Today, Eakins contribution to American Realism can be seen in the Ashcan School of paintings. He has since emerged as a major figure in sexuality studies in art history due to his compositions featuring homoeroticism and his complex attitudes toward women. Eakins was truly ahead of his time, and believed in teaching men and women with equal regard, though he became a victim of so-called “puritanical prudity.” This bohemian attitude made it difficult for Eakins to rise up during his lifetime as a noted painter, though secured him as a major force in American art history.
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