Photograph 1910

Thomas Eakins created this photograph, and what strikes me is the tenderness and care in the way he's framed this moment between a woman and her dog. I imagine Eakins setting up his camera, carefully composing the shot, maybe coaxing the dog to sit still, all the while considering the light and shadow. You can almost feel the softness of the dog's fur, the gentle embrace of the woman’s hands. Look at the woman’s eyes, averted from the camera; the image communicates intimacy and introversion. Was Eakins thinking about Velasquez as he set up the shot? Was he thinking of Courbet? This image reminds us that artists are always in conversation, responding to each other across time and space. And, like any good painting, this photograph has its own kind of embodied expression. It’s ambiguous, open to interpretation, and full of feeling.