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Lot Essay
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Thomas Eakins' exquisite, double-sided drawing is masterfully rendered in pencil and charcoal, capturing the physical strength and beauty of the human form in a brilliant example of American Realism. The breathtaking sense of naturalism in both the warrior and the seated nude reveals Eakins' painstaking attention to the details and nuances of the human body and his appreciation of its intricacies and beauty. Eakins specialized in portraiture and figurative works, studying anatomy at the Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia where he developed a keen interest in human physiognomy and form. He often worked directly from nude models and approached the human body scientifically, carefully examining faces and bodies and closely observing the appearance of skin and muscles during movement. His fascination with the human form prefigured his influence as an instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he taught from 1873 to 1886, encouraging his students to study human anatomy and figure composition directly from life. Eakins' mastery of form, tone, proportion and shading reflects the influence of Jean-Léon Gérôme, of whom he was a student from 1866 to 1869 at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His studio practice often transgressed Victorian notions of propriety and moral boundaries; nevertheless, he pursued his research and observation of human anatomy and even employed photography in order to achieve the most stunning demonstrations of naturalism. The present work--in its superior technical draftsmanship, the luminous quality of the charcoal medium, and the flawless rendering of the human body--confirms Eakins as the finest nineteenth century American artists of figurative works.
Thomas Eakins' exquisite, double-sided drawing is masterfully rendered in pencil and charcoal, capturing the physical strength and beauty of the human form in a brilliant example of American Realism. The breathtaking sense of naturalism in both the warrior and the seated nude reveals Eakins' painstaking attention to the details and nuances of the human body and his appreciation of its intricacies and beauty. Eakins specialized in portraiture and figurative works, studying anatomy at the Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia where he developed a keen interest in human physiognomy and form. He often worked directly from nude models and approached the human body scientifically, carefully examining faces and bodies and closely observing the appearance of skin and muscles during movement. His fascination with the human form prefigured his influence as an instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he taught from 1873 to 1886, encouraging his students to study human anatomy and figure composition directly from life. Eakins' mastery of form, tone, proportion and shading reflects the influence of Jean-Léon Gérôme, of whom he was a student from 1866 to 1869 at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His studio practice often transgressed Victorian notions of propriety and moral boundaries; nevertheless, he pursued his research and observation of human anatomy and even employed photography in order to achieve the most stunning demonstrations of naturalism. The present work--in its superior technical draftsmanship, the luminous quality of the charcoal medium, and the flawless rendering of the human body--confirms Eakins as the finest nineteenth century American artists of figurative works.