Maggie Eakins with "Harry"
Original title: Maggie Eakins with "Harry"
kurzbeschreibung
This 1880 photograph captures Maggie Eakins, Thomas Eakins's sister, with her dog Harry. Unlike many contemporary portraits, the scene feels like a casual moment outdoors. The image was made as an albumen silver print.
Description
A woman sits on a wooden bench, her arms wrapped around a dog she gently strokes. The animal stands on the bench, looking toward the camera. Behind them, leaves and branches suggest a garden. The layout follows a traditional style common around 1880, with subdued tones and even lighting.
Context
Thomas Eakins, known primarily as a painter and photographer, experimented intensively with photography in the 1880s, often with family and friends. This photograph was likely taken in the garden of the family home in Philadelphia. Eakins used photography both as a study aid and as an artistic medium, which was unusual for the time. The print belongs to his photographic oeuvre, which combines private and artistic motifs.
Impact
Through its simple arrangement and natural moment, the photograph speaks directly and feels intimate. The woman's calm posture and the dog's attentive presence create a quiet, familiar mood. The albumen print gives the image a soft, velvety tonality that makes the moment seem even more tender.
Technique
This work is an albumen silver print, a process widely used in the second half of the 19th century. A mixture of albumen (egg white) and salt is applied to paper and made light-sensitive with silver salts. The exposure was likely made with a large-format camera on a glass plate negative; the positive was then produced by contact printing.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)