Thomas Eakins Biography

Painter, Sculptor, Photographer (1844–1916)

Thomas Eakins was a naturalist figure painter, portraitist and sculptor. He is considered one of the most influential artists in U.S. history.

Synopsis

Thomas Eakins was born on July 25, 1844, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Throughout the mid-19th century he studied sculpting in Paris. In 1870, he started teaching at Pennsylvania Academy, but resigned in 1886 when he refused to stop using nude models. Beginning in the 1880s, he used photography to study motion. By his later years, he was considered a major painter. He died on June 25, 1916, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.