1844-1916. US painter. He studied in Europe
and developed a realistic style with strong
contrasts between light and shade, as in The
Gross Clinic 1875 (Jefferson Medical College,
Philadelphia), a group portrait of a surgeon,
his assistants, and students. Eakins was born
in Philadelphia. He studied with the French
academic painter J-L Gerome (1824-1904) in
Paris in the 1860s and on a European tour
drew inspiration from Rembrandt, Velazquez,
and Ribera. In the 1870s he began teaching at
the Pennsylvania Academy but was dismissed
for removing the loincloth from a nude model.
In his later years he painted distinguished,
powerful portraits.