Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History


    • The Writing Master, 1882
    Thomas Eakins (American, 1844–1916)
    Oil on canvas; 30 x 34 1/4 in. (76.2 x 87 cm)
    John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1917 (17.173)

    The sitter is the artist's father, Benjamin Eakins (1818–1899; 81.14). He was the son of Alexander Eakins, who emigrated from Ireland with his wife Frances and established himself as a weaver. Benjamin was born on a farm in what is now Schuylkill Township, near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. As a young man, he went to Philadelphia and became a writing master, teaching the old copperplate style of calligraphy in the city's schools and engrossing deeds, diplomas, and other documents. In 1843, he married Caroline Cowperthwait, a daughter of a Quaker cobbler, and in 1857 they moved to 1729 Mount Vernon Street, where he spent the rest of his life. Benjamin Eakins encouraged his son to become an artist and served as his model on several occasions. This picture was first shown at the annual exhibition of the Society of American Artists in New York in 1883, where it was received with mixed reviews.

    This work of art also appears on Connections: Fatherhood , Hands , Writing

    Related


    This work has been published in the Museum's Bulletin or Journal. These articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship.
  • Weinberg, H. Barbara. "Thomas Eakins and The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 52, no. 3 (Winter, 1994–95).
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    • On view: Gallery 767
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    • The Writing Master, 1882
    Thomas Eakins (American, 1844–1916)
    Oil on canvas; 30 x 34 1/4 in. (76.2 x 87 cm)
    John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1917 (17.173)

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