A Street Scene 

Painted by Thomas Eakins, this street scene is rendered with a muted palette of browns, greys, and creams. The composition appears spontaneous, almost like a fleeting glimpse captured in paint. The brushwork is loose and expressive, with visible strokes that add texture to the surfaces of the buildings and the street. Eakins, known for his commitment to realism, here seems to embrace a more impressionistic approach. This is evident in how the details of the street are suggested rather than precisely defined. The lack of a clear focal point further contributes to this sense of immediacy, inviting the viewer to wander through the scene. Consider how the play of light and shadow creates depth and volume, particularly around the shopfront and the carriage in the foreground. The use of light and shadow and loose brushstrokes are not merely aesthetic choices; they reflect a broader shift towards capturing subjective experience rather than objective reality, indicative of the changing currents in late 19th-century art.