My brother sent me a photo and it triggered a memory
of the painter Thomas Eakins. This painting will be in 3 parts
Painting dimensions 10" X 16"
Each day I'll give a little background on
Eakins(pronounced AY kins; 1844-1916)
Quotes are taken from The Annotated Mona Lisa
"When Eakins decided to paint a crucifixion, he strapped his
model to a cross. His first concern was to get the anatomy right.
To learn anatomy, he dissected cadavers and became
so knowledgeable on the subject he lectured to medical students.
He plotted out the perspective of his paintings with mathematical precision."
"I hate affectation," he wrote.
"I am learning to make solid, heavy work."
I had not thought about Eakins for years - to tell the truth he's kind of
a blip on the screen in the art world. Most of my art history books
devote a paragraph to Eakins nothing more.
Also, I'm not comparing myself in any way to his artistic ability.
This is fun for me and I learn something new in the process.
Thanks for following!
So, because I do everything you tell me to do (mostly, and your suggestions always have brought me rewards), last week I walked to Thomas Eakins' house here in Philadelphia. A bit of a disappointment as it now is the home to the Mural Arts people and it was closed. BUT THEN, I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Arts - holy cow - what a wonderful surprise. I believe it truly is an underrated museum. The collection is vast and beautifully exhibited. There was a whole room of Eakins' works. What impressed me the most was one painting of a boxing match. It is a boxing ring with onlookers, audience, referees, etc. The note on the painting said that Eakins used real models for every single face. Impressive, and I thank you for telling me about him. Love your ode to Eakins and now I feel a little bit attached to his work. I thank you.
ReplyDeleteLove the art history inspiration!
ReplyDelete