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Female Nude by Thomas Eakins,
oil painting, c. 1881. |
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The Thinker by Thomas Eakins,
oil painting, 1900.
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Thomas Eakins earned himself quite a reputation during his
lifetime. He didn't suffer fools gladly, he didn't hold his tongue, and he
didn't paint lies. The latter got him into a bit of trouble as a portrait
painter—he painted people as he saw them, not necessarily as they wanted to be
seen—but his commitment to realism created a lasting legacy in American art.
When I look at Eakins' depiction of the human figure, I'm
always taken aback by how natural the body looks. Not beautiful, not symbolic,
but natural. For example, in Female Nude,
the curve of the spine, slight jut of the shoulder blades, and delicately
creased skin behind the knee look so real. This isn't an idealized body, but
one that looks as if it actually exists. I also notice how Eakins didn't depict
the body as a closed form with strong contour lines, but one with volume that
seems to actually evoke the substantiality of skin over muscle, and bone.
In The Thinker, the
way the figure's weight is supported on his heels with his shoulders slightly
canted and his head bowed reinforce the fact that Eakins knew human anatomy and
how the body functioned in such a stance. But the details—the tendons on the
figure's wrist that bulge slightly and the far-off gaze, pursed lips, and
furrowed brow—make the portrait come alive, as clichéd as it sounds. You really
get a sense that this figure—and his deep thoughts—exists.
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Portrait of Weda Cook by Thomas Eakins,
oil painting, 1891. |
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The relaxed, familiar feeling that comes from Eakins'
Portrait of Weda Cook is achieved on
several levels, all of which I'd love to be able to recreate. The figure's
position and size relative to the picture plane make it look as if she is
sitting right next to the viewer. Her gaze is distracted and focused
simultaneously, as if something just out of our view has caught her attention,
reinforcing the idea that we occupy the space with her. And the warm, rosy, and
golden colors of the sitter's blouse, cheek, and lips compliment the figure and
reinforce the 'at ease' feel of the work.
The essential abilities of a portrait painter are to
simultaneously paint what is within and what is without—the physicality and
mentality of your model. But getting there takes practice and tutorship. You
can study with some of the best portrait-painting instructors working today by
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Painting Duo, Susan Lyon's Mastering
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Oil Portrait Painting.
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