ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Writing Master

Thomas Eakins American
1882
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 766
Eakins probably had his first drawing lessons from his father, a professional calligrapher and teacher of penmanship at Friends’ Central School in Philadelphia. Here, Benjamin Eakins (1818–1899) is shown engaged in copying a document in an old-fashioned “copperplate” script. While the serious and affectionate portrayal of an aging craftsman is saturated with Rembrandtesque eloquence and nostalgia, Eakins’s delineation of his father’s head and hands reveals his skills of observation and description. Benjamin Eakins’s wise investments gave his son lifelong financial security.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Writing Master
  • Artist: Thomas Eakins (American, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1844–1916 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
  • Date: 1882
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 30 x 34 1/4 in. (76.2 x 87 cm)
  • Credit Line: John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.173
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Frank MacDowell, Thomas Eakins American, Glass positive
Frank MacDowell
Thomas Eakins
1880s
Catherine Flanagan Towne
Thomas Eakins
1880s
Margaret Eakins, Thomas Eakins American, Glass positive
Margaret Eakins
Thomas Eakins
1880s
Margaret Eakins
Thomas Eakins
1883
Women Seated on the Grass
Thomas Eakins
1880s

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.