biography
| name: |
Eakins, Thomas (Cowperthwait)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1844–1916)
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| biography:
| Painter, photographer, and sculptor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. After studying painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1861–6), he studied in Paris (1866–70) under Jean Léon Gerôme. During his travels in Europe he was profoundly influenced by the Spanish painters Velázquez and Ribera. He returned to Philadelphia (1870), and studied anatomy and dissections at Jefferson Medical College, a pursuit which strongly affected his work. He began teaching at the Pennsylvania Academy (1876) and created a crisis when he insisted on using nude male models in the art classroom. When asked to use loincloths, he refused and resigned (1886). He worked as a photographer, continuing his study of anatomy in a series of figure-motion studies, and as a sculptor, but he is remembered for his paintings. His work exhibits his mastery of observation and perspective, as well as his stylized but precise realism. Noted for his portraits, scenes of drama, and outdoor activities, such as ‘Max Schmitt in a Single Scull’ (1871), ‘The Clinic of Dr Gross’ (1875), ‘The Writing Master’ (1881), a portrait of his father, and ‘The Swimming Hole’ (1884–5), he is honoured for his unsentimental approach to humanity and nature. Recent exhibitions and newly discovered information concerning Eakins continue to reveal the life of this enigmatic and important artist. |
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