Portrait of Thomas J. Eagan 1907

Thomas Eakins painted this portrait of Thomas J. Eagan and, like in much of his work, the brushstrokes are part of the story. The details emerge out of the darkness, built up with careful, considered marks. Eakins isn't afraid of the dark; the painting isn't about a grand gesture, but the slow build of form. Look at the way Eakins models Eagan's face, the subtle shift from light to shadow. It's not about a smooth surface, but about the texture of the paint itself, the way it catches the light, the way it feels almost topographical. The whole thing has an understated and humble feel. I’m reminded of Velázquez, another artist who understood the power of darkness and the importance of process. Like Velázquez, Eakins is not just painting a person; he is painting the act of seeing, the act of translating the world onto canvas, and maybe, just maybe, something of the soul.