The Chaperone c. 1908

Thomas Eakins made this painting, The Chaperone, with oil on canvas. I really like the way Eakins uses a limited palette, mostly earth tones, which gives the painting a kind of quiet, contemplative mood. And it's all about process. You can see the brushstrokes, the way the paint is applied, and the artist's hand in the work. There's a tension between the rough handling of the paint and the clear representation of the figure. The texture is so present! Look at the way he's built up the paint in layers, especially in the face and hands. The darks are really deep, giving a sense of weight and substance to the figure, whilst the background looks scrubbed, thin and undefined. The way her hands are folded, busy with some task, but still, it feels symbolic somehow, maybe about life, or time passing. It makes you wonder about the story behind this person, what she’s thinking. Eakins seems to have taken some cues from Manet, especially in the way the figure is placed against the ground. Art's an ongoing conversation, right?