Eakins

All this sculler stuff oddly reminded me of the Sculler paintings by Eakins., totally forgotten until a few days ago. As a kid, I admired Eakins sculler paintings or better said, his more famous paintings in my art books at school. Those were the only ones I had access to. So with my renewed interest in scullers, I spent a few hours on line, looking at images and reading some of his history. Growing up, I actually knew little to nothing about a particular artist or their lives....only their work. In my case it's a very recent interest finding out more about them. LOL I gathered they were all starving and wasn't going  there! I did like (2) of his paintings and still do! Perhaps the only ones in my worn art history book. Thanks to Google I know a bit more now. My impressions were made different doing it though......the written word can be cruel!

Aside from the written word, how cool is this mans work! The downside of posting this, is it will make mine look loose and inept; regardless, here it is.

 

The Champion Single Sculls (Max Schmitt in a Single Scull), 1871
Thomas Eakins (American, 1844–1916)
Oil on canvas

32 1/4 x 46 1/4 in. (81.9 x 117.5 cm)
Purchase, The Alfred N. Punnett Endowment Fund and George D. Pratt Gift, 1934 (34.92)

Shortly after his return from studies in Europe in July 1870, Eakins began to paint rowing pictures. This work is among the most celebrated of those painted between 1870 and 1874. It depicts Eakins' boyhood friend Max Schmitt (1843–1900), a champion oarsman, in a scull on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. Eakins depicted himself in the distant boat, rowing away from Schmitt. The bridges behind the rowers can be identified as the Girard Avenue Bridge and the Connecting Railroad Bridge, respectively. It is believed that this work commemorates Max Schmitt's victory in a single-scull competition on October 5, 1870. A number of drawings for various parts of this composition exist.

Well said, by someone who obviously appreciates his work. For me there is a certain attraction to how Eakins presented a subject, especially his formal, sometimes gritty but always dignified approach. The essence comes through loud and clear......a true realist or how I would interpret the meaning of the word "realist" regardless of how refined or abstract it's portrayed. As a youngster I only studied the images! Art classifications still leave me scratching my head in wonderment....I have a tendency to simplify it to single descriptive words or look at the pictures and move on! In truth, unless I know the artist, I'm less interested in the artist and more the results as in Eakins. However, as I've come to find out, the man was more than that!

I came across another interesting site while looking for this image of The Swimming Hole. The other painting I'm sure was in my book. I'm also sure it first got my attention because kids weren't allowed to see naked bodies....we did in art books tho:=) However, thinking about it - we did skinny dip in the summer (no girls allowed). We did swim naked in the school pool; we did, because in those days suits were not permitted. So perhaps this painting has a normal relevance for a certain age group, but not today or how it's generally interpreted, apparently by some of our learned scholars and critics. I wouldn't have associated it with sexual content until after reading this by Louis Torres , basically comments about many of Eakins works over a long period of time and more specifically defending this painting and Eakins fascination with the male nude. I don't understand the taboo of painting a male figure - it's like having salt without pepper.....it's narrow thinking and censorship, but that's our world.

One of the things I found much more fascinating than the speculative maligning of Eakins, was Eakins use of photography, photo projection, and his role in moving pictures. But, perhaps even more than that, how it negatively impacted his legacy, even today! Including this same painting below, in some learned circles viewed as "non art" because of its use. Obviously I don't agree  - I for one, am not giving up my camera, Photoshop, salt and pepper or sugar and cream! Oh Yes! That also includes butter.......some of gods little pleasure are worth the price!

The Swimming Hole - Thomas Eakins 1884-5

It's apparent to me Eakins had some lasting influence on my original interests and early development albeit only from a few paintings, apparently the right ones! LOL....I never got to see bad ones or even make a judgment beyond yes or no......perhaps my own, but I never thought they were bad....still don't! Nice thing about adolescence, not knowing better, I just dove in! Sometimes it pays not to read the very fine art print but simply enjoy the images....

Later......