Portrait of Adam S. Bare 1903

Thomas Eakins painted this portrait of Adam S. Bare, and who knows what kind of conversations they had while Eakins was trying to capture him in oil. The colors are all earthen, like raw umber and a little bit of burnt sienna, which gives this painting a grounded feeling. And the brushwork is loose, especially around the edges, like Eakins was more interested in the feeling of Adam than in getting every detail perfect. The way he's painted the beard is pretty cool. It’s not just one solid mass but little strokes of paint that catch the light, so you can almost feel the texture. It’s like Eakins is saying, "Hey, this is paint, but it’s also a beard." Thinking about other artists, maybe someone like Manet would appreciate the way Eakins balances realism with a painterly touch. It's all about the process, the conversation between the artist and the canvas.