Katie Crowell in Avondale, Pennsylvania 1887

Thomas Eakins made this photograph of Katie Crowell in Avondale, Pennsylvania using a platinum print technique. Here, we see a child in an outdoor setting, her nudity reminiscent of classical depictions of innocence and the pastoral. This recalls images of nymphs and cherubs, figures that embody purity and a primal connection to nature. Such imagery reaches back to antiquity, from the depictions of Eros and Psyche to Renaissance paintings of Cupid, each carrying associations of love, vulnerability, and the uncorrupted soul. Consider Botticelli's Venus, emerging nude, an embodiment of divine beauty; a motif echoed through centuries. The enduring appeal of these symbols lies in their ability to evoke powerful emotions, tapping into our subconscious understanding of beauty and vulnerability, continually resurfacing, evolving, and finding new life across epochs.