Portrait of Thomas J. Eagan 1907

Thomas Eakins painted this portrait of Thomas J. Eagan with oils on canvas. It looks like he really built up the figure out of the darkness. I can imagine Eakins squinting, trying to capture just the right glint of light on Eagan’s glasses or the subtle curve of his mustache. Look how the colors deepen around the edges, creating this intimate, almost secretive space. Eakins was so interested in realism, but there's something about the way he handles the paint, especially in the face, that feels so alive, so human. There's a conversation happening here with Rembrandt, with Velázquez, all these artists who were masters of light and shadow. Eakins isn’t just copying life; he’s engaging with this long history of painting, pushing it, questioning it. It makes you wonder, what will we leave behind? How will future artists pick up our thread and keep the conversation going?