The Champion Single Sculls 1871

Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) was one of the greatest American artists of the nineteenth century, instilling a powerful and sometimes shocking sense of realism into his paintings. He spent most of his life in his native city of Philadelphia, though this picture dates from the start of his career, when he had just returned from four years studying in Europe (1866 to 1870), mostly in France and Spain. It was hardly surprising after such time away that he was anxious to turn his attention to the places and the activities that he had missed while abroad. Above all, he was drawn to the idea of rowing scenes, producing several paintings on this theme between 1870 and 1874. This is probably the most famous of them. It shows a boyhood friend, Max Schmit (1843-1900), turning around to face the viewer. Although a lawyer by profession, Schmitt was a keen amateur oarsman and had recently won a prestigious, single-scull race. In his usual, fastidious way, Eakins arranged the entire composition so that it included a number of references to this victory. The autumnal setting was chosen to tally with the date of the race (October 5, 1870); the late-afternoon sky indicated the time that it took place (5 p.m.); and Schmitt's scull was even located on the precise spot where the finishing line had been situated. As he was equally fond of rowing, Eakins decided to add his own portrait to the picture, in the guise of the rower in the middle distance. To make things doubly clear, he painted his signature and the picture's date on the side of the boat.