Shad Fishing at Gloucester on the Delaware River 1881

Editor: So, here we have Thomas Eakins' "Shad Fishing at Gloucester on the Delaware River," painted in 1881, with oil paint. It strikes me as a very matter-of-fact scene, almost documentarian in its approach. The fishermen seem totally absorbed in their work. What’s your read on this piece? Curator: Matter-of-fact is a good way to put it. Eakins wasn’t one for romanticizing things, was he? Though, the scene itself is, or could have been. Look at the light hitting the water – you almost feel the cool dampness. I see an attempt to capture something authentically American. Less interested in dramatic vistas than in depicting everyday labor with respect. He certainly captured that impasto application, and you know I love a thick layer of paint on a canvas. Does this one hold special significance for you in terms of American realism? Editor: The realism definitely appeals to me; however, the somber tone is striking. It feels a bit heavier than some of his other works, maybe? Curator: Perhaps. Or is it simply truthful? Think of what Eakins observed in contrast to what Americans told themselves about their lives. There’s a grittiness here. How about the choice of the working class in its representation? It’s also quite democratic as far as the landscape. Editor: That's true; it is far from idealized! I now perceive in the artwork the honest depiction of labor during that era. It offers an opportunity for more interpretation than just what is represented on the surface. I see this as more thoughtful work overall. Curator: Precisely. The mundane holds its own sort of beauty and poetry, don't you think? A poetry that is not romanticizing but witnessing. It is like listening for the untold. Editor: Agreed. There's a powerful honesty in its simplicity, a way to really connect. Thank you for unveiling it for me.