Thomas Eakins

"Modern critics of Eakins have described his artistic motivations and beliefs as prurient and even pathological. Amy Werbel challenges these interpretations and suggests instead that Eakins is best understood as a socially progressive artist and teacher devoted to an exacting and profound study of the human body, to equality for women and men, and to middle-class meritocratic and Quaker philosophies." "Anchored by a wealth of archival material, this book persuasively counters recent sensationalized portrayals of Eakins and is essential reading for anyone interested in nineteenth-century American art and cultural history."--Jacket.