The Writing Master
Artist: Thomas Eakins (American, 1844–1916)
Original Dimensions: 30" x 34 1/4"
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
About Artwork: (1882) "Eakins likely received his first drawing lessons from his father, a professional calligrapher and teacher of penmanship at Friends’ Central School in Philadelphia. Here, Benjamin Eakins (1818–1899) has copied a document in an old-fashioned “copperplate” script. The father’s wise financial investments allowed Eakins to focus on his art exclusive of sales. This serious and affectionate portrayal of an aging craftsman reveals the painter’s skills of observation and description. The portrait was among ten paintings exhibited at the Chicago fair by Eakins, one of the few American artists accorded such an honor by a jury of peers." - (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

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