Thomas Eakins Day

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Circle of Eakins

Over the years I've posted a number of photos attributed to "Circle of Eakins."  Curators are not in agreement as to just how involved Thomas Eakins was in this group of over a dozen photos, 

but it is certain that he heavily influenced them whether he took them all or not.  

Here we see a sort of modified conga line in the studio.

 

J. Laurie Wallace and Friend

I think that's J. Wallace Laurie on the right with an unknown fellow student.

 

Tug of War

Thomas Eakins frequently took his students on outings where they engaged 

in various activities nude.  The photo above shows detail from a tug of war.

 

Jesse Godley

Above we have a fairly standard Thomas Eakins panel of assorted poses by student Jesse Godley.  Below, we have a Marey Wheel image by Mr. Eakins of Mr. Godley walking.  I've mentioned in previous series that Thomas Eakins and Muybridge knew each other and collaborated to a limited extent on motion studies.  This is an example of shared methodology with that other pioneer of moving pictures, Frenchman Jules Marey.

 

Three male nudes

This is another of those "circle of Thomas Eakins" attributions, and a quite interesting one.  

We get a nice arrangement of a trio of nude student models, plus there

 are at least four clothed men looking on in the background.

 

Platform

I don't know what the purpose of the platform was originally, but Thomas Eakins and his students 

used it on one of their outings to make three photos, two of which I previously posted.

 

Beach

I've posted at least one different pose of these two men on a beach, but I especially like this one 

because we can actually see chest hair (and a happy trail) in a 19th C. photo, something rare.

 

Charles Bregler

Finishing with an Eakins photo of Charles Bregler, a student who went on to a moderately successful career as a portraitist, but is best known for having collected a large body of Thomas Eakins' work, journals, and notes.  The collection is now at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.  The photo above is a likely reference to Flandrin, and below we see Mr. Bregler in his studio, 1895.

 

Eakins?

At least one online source attributes this photo to Thomas Eakins or his Circle.  I have another image of the same model in a slightly different position, indicating it might have  been part of a motion study, something that Eakins did dabble in while Eadweard Muybridge was in Philadelphia.

 

Thomas Eakins

J. Laurie Wallace also appears in this 1883 self portait by Thomas Eakins.

 

Thomas Eakins Day, Part One - The Great Outdoors

It's Thomas Eakins Day, and part one features outdoor photos, starting with this fellow who has been labeled as either Jesse Godley or Frank Stevens.  I'm not sure he's either of those two. but he seems more likely to be Frank, who appears in today's intermission.  See what y'all think.

 

Unknown

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Group with the Professor

This photo shows Prof. Eakins with J. Laurie Wallace (right) and an unknown.

I find the unknown fellow quite impressive.

 

Lanky

This lanky student seems to have stepped on a thorn.

That happens going barefoot in the brush.

 

Thomas Eakins Day, Intermission - Thomas, Harry, and Frank

For an intermission I'm posting two composites of anatomical studies along with a canine entry.  As noted earlier, Thomas Eakins was not at all shy about posing nude himself, and the photos above are only a few of a couple of dozen of studio poses of the maestro in the buff.

 

Harry and Friend

Above we have Thomas' Eakins dog Harry, and below we see Harry with another dog from the Eakins household.  I've seen them described as spaniels and setters, but either way they are find boys.

I featured a photo of the black one sleeping in a past series.

 

Frank Stevens

This is a composite I made of student Frank Stevens.

 

Thomas Eakins Day, Part Two - The Circle

Part two of our Thomas Eakins features items labeled as "Circle of Eakins" in most collections.  

There is some uncertainty as to whether these were done indepently by Mr. Eakins' students 

and associates or done under his supervision.  Either way, they have his imprint.  We start 

with an intersting and active scene.  Two of the three nude models out front are resting 

while the third seems to be taking a whack at something with a juggling club.  

Or perhaps he just walloped the guy falling back in the rear.

 

Expansive

This remarkably expansive photo shows a studio scene with three nude models, a clothed attendant amond the models, and three additional clothed men off to the left side.  Unfortunately, the photo is damaged, so I've broken it down into three parts which I individually enhanced with software below.

The nude model above seems to be sawing something.  Shades of Muybridge.

The central figure seems more muscular when enlarged and clarified.

The nude model above has a bit of a pot belly and looks older than the other models.

The clothed man is holding a rag and has something on a shoulder strap I can't make out.

Is he dressed as a soldier?  Or is he the helpful fluffer?