Charles Percival Buck 1904

Thomas Eakins painted this portrait of Charles Percival Buck in 1904, using oil on canvas, a traditional material. Eakins demonstrates his mastery of the medium, using a limited palette and visible brushstrokes to capture the sitter’s likeness and character. You can observe how Eakins builds up the image layer by layer, carefully modeling the forms with light and shadow. The materiality of oil paint—its viscosity, opacity, and ability to blend—allows for subtle gradations of tone and texture. Eakins's technique of direct painting, applying the paint alla prima, or "at once", contributes to the sense of immediacy and realism. The choice of materials, in this case, is tied to the tradition of academic painting, which valued technical skill and realism. Through his manipulation of oil paint, Eakins elevates the portrait to a timeless work of art, demonstrating the enduring power of traditional artistic materials.