Thomas Eakins: American Realist

About the Class

Born in Philadelphia, Thomas Eakins (1844–1916) transformed 19th-century American art through his unflinching devotion to realism that reflected the complexities of everyday life. Throughout his career, he used painting, photography, and drawing to examine the people and institutions shaping modern American life in the decades after the Civil War.

In this four-session online course, we’ll trace Eakins’s career from his training in Paris to his influential tenure at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he taught generations of American artists. Through close study of his portraits, athletic scenes, and depictions of surgical theater and musical performances, we’ll explore how Eakins approached realism not simply to capture visual accuracy but as a way to understand the psychological depth and complexity of the human condition.

Together, we’ll consider how Eakins’s work reflected a rapidly changing society in the aftermath of the Civil War while continuing to shape conversations around American art and identity today.

The class is online-only. More about online classes.

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Barnes classes will:

• Sharpen your observational and critical-thinking skills.
• Improve your ability to communicate about art.
• Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.

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About the Series

Spotlight on American art! This October, we’re offering four new classes on four groundbreaking American painters. Sign up for one or enroll in all four at a discounted rate.

From the international career of James McNeill Whistler to the singular vision of Mary Cassatt, from Thomas Eakins’s Philadelphia realism to Aaron Douglas’s Harlem Renaissance modernism, these courses examine how American artists responded to changing ideas about identity, culture, and artistic expression.

Through close looking, discussion, and historical context, you’ll engage deeply with the people, places, and ideas that continue to shape conversations about American art today.

What Students Are Saying

“Joe Tokumasu Field was a wonderful instructor. He’s patient, caring, and skilled at interacting with students’ questions and comments.” —The Japanese American Century with Joseph Tokumasu Field

“This was an exciting course with fascinating and informative lectures and well-chosen pictures. Franits is a brilliant teacher.” —17th-Century Dutch Art’s “Holy Trinity”: Hals, Rembrandt, and Vermeer with Wayne Franits

“The instructor was outstanding in every way—an expert in the subject, enthusiastic about the material, solicitous and supportive of students’ observations, and brilliant in expanding our discussion as warranted. The best Barnes instructor I’ve had, by far.” —The Nabis: Late 19th-Century Prophets of the New with Larissa Bailiff

“I enjoyed the course very much and liked how each week focused on a different topic relevant to the subject. Caterina is an engaging speaker, and you can tell she loves what she is teaching. Her enthusiasm and sense of humor come through.” —Famous Heists: Crimes in the History of Art with Caterina Pierre

“I felt at peace afterward and appreciated the art so much more than before.” —Being Present with Art: Cultivating Balance for Spring with Roksana Filipowska