Seventy Years Ago 1877

"Seventy Years Ago" (1877) by American realist painter Thomas Eakins, is a watercolor depicting an older woman in a simple white dress and a lace cap, knitting. The piece, now part of the Princeton University Art Museum collection, was created during a period when Eakins’ work was becoming increasingly focused on everyday life and the working class. The painting's intimate depiction of the woman's focused labor captures a sense of quiet, contemplative solitude.