#eakins

Photographed by Thomas Eakins in Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, during the 1880s, an unusual scene featuring not just the model but two of the artists working on their depictions of his form. The picture is titled Charles Cox painting in the Art Student’s League : we can assume Mr Cox is the chap with the prominent white shirt sleeve, but take a careful look and you can spy a second, dark-clothed, student toward the left.

A third from Thomas Eakins’ 1883 outdoor photography session with his art students, the others can be seen hereand here.

A trio of anatomical studies by Thomas Eakins, circa 1885, his model photographed standing square and with his weight shifted from one foot to the other, allowing the artist to observe the tilting of hip and bending of knee required for different poses he wished to capture in his work. Even though they were intended merely as reference, there is a rough beauty in the images, tatty edges and all,

With softly faded edges adding an atmospheric hazy quality, and a bright overhead light which draws deep shadows on their anatomy, this is a lovely photograph despite only being taken for artistic reference. I recognised these two men (and the fully articulated cat skeleton propped in the background!) as familiar from this photograph posted a year previously.

It has been a while indeed since I last brought you one of Thomas Eakins’ reference photographs, this another from this marvellous outdoor photoshoot for The Swimming Hole, in 1883. Though they were created to assist with his painting, there is an undeniable beauty to each image in its own right, the spontaneity of each shot as the models enjoy their swim, the composition and lighting every bit as lovely as in the work based upon these scenes. 

J. Laurie Wallace (right) and an unidentified model, posing for Thomas Eakins in 1883 - another reference photograph taken the same day can be seen here.

Photograph, 1910,Thomas Eakins