William Rush’s Model 1908

Thomas Eakins made this oil on canvas painting titled ‘William Rush’s Model.’ The piece is executed in the realist style, and the materials used were traditional for academic painting. The visible brushwork speaks to the artist’s skill in handling the medium, building up layers of pigment to create a sense of depth and volume. This technique invites a close look at the materiality of the painting itself. Consider the labor involved in preparing the canvas, grinding pigments, and applying the paint with precision. Eakins engaged with a skilled tradition of painting, one that demanded years of training and practice to master. But we should also notice what he does *not* show us: the sculptor William Rush, who would have been the main subject in a more conventional academic painting. By making the model his focus, Eakins implies a democratic, even feminist social vision. Ultimately, the painting challenges us to reconsider the role of both maker and model, and to recognize the value of all forms of labor, whether artistic or otherwise.