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Preview image of work. oil on canvas,  Portrait of A. Bryan Wall 5019
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1962.16

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Portrait of A. Bryan Wall

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Artist

Thomas Eakins (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1844 - 1916, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Title

Portrait of A. Bryan Wall

Creation Date

1904

Century

early 20th century

Dimensions

24 1/4 in. x 20 3/16 in. (61.6 cm x 51.28 cm)

Object Type

painting

Creation Place

North America, United States

Medium and Support

oil on canvas

Credit Line

Museum Purchase, George Otis Hamlin Fund

Copyright

Public Domain

Accession Number

1962.16

At the outset of his career Thomas Eakins epitomized critical hopes for an art that would be both technically accomplished and distinctively national. Having studied in Paris with painters Jean-Léon Gérôme and Léon Bonnat, and sculptor August Dumont, Eakins returned to Philadelphia and began painting portraits of individuals whom he regarded as heroes of modern life. These pictures demonstrated knowledge gained through perspective studies, anatomical dissection, and rigorous observation. As a professor and then director of the Pennsylvania Academy from 1879 to 1886, Eakins revised the curriculum in accordance with a scientific approach focused on the study of anatomy and painting the live model. Resistance to Eakins’ zeal for teaching from the nude figure eventually forced him to resign his position. This portrait of fellow artist A. Bryan Wall shows the artist’s unflagging attention to empirical detail. It exemplifies the unvarnished realism that resulted from his unique wedding of artistic skill and scientific interests.

Keywords: portraits