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The Writing Master

Thomas Eakins American
1882
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 766
Eakins likely received 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) has copied a document in an old-fashioned “copperplate” script. The father’s wise financial investments allowed Eakins to focus on his art exclusive of sales. This serious and affectionate portrayal of an aging craftsman reveals the painter’s skills of observation and description. The portrait was among ten paintings exhibited at the Chicago fair by Eakins, one of the few American artists accorded such an honor by a jury of peers.

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

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