Portrait of Montague Flagg (The Wanderer) 1887

Thomas Eakins made this portrait of Montague Flagg using oil paint on canvas. The dark background causes the face to emerge, and the painting looks as though it happened spontaneously. But this is deceptive; notice how Eakins has carefully modeled the cheekbones and mustache. He is using paint almost like clay. Look closely, and you can almost see the mark of each brushstroke. The way paint is applied is just as crucial as the image itself. Though we often think of painting as being about pure creativity, consider the labor involved. Mining pigments, mixing paints, preparing the canvas – all these steps are essential. Eakins, in particular, had a strong belief in close observation, both of the world, and of the craft and work involved in translating observation into art. By attending to the materiality of paint, and the physical act of applying it to canvas, we can appreciate the level of care and attention Eakins brought to his work. This allows us to see the painting not just as a representation, but as a made thing.