[Mrs. Louis Kentin in Empire Dress]

Art Historical Context

Step into the refined world of 1880s portraiture with Thomas Eakins *Mrs. Louis Kentin in Empire*, an exquisite albumen silver print now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Photographs collection. Eakins, a master of American Realism renowned for his paintings of everyday life and anatomical precision, turned his keen eye to photography as both an artistic pursuit and a tool for his studio work. Here, he captures Mrs. Louis Kentin poised in an Empire-style dress—a nod to the neoclassical fashion of Napoleonic France, revived in the late 19th century for its elegant high waistlines and flo...

About the Artist

Thomas Eakins · 1844–1916

Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) was an American painter, photographer, and educator who carried 19th-century American Realism to its highest achievement. Based in Philadelphia throughout his life, he created uncompromising portraits and genre scenes that depicted American life with a scientific precision and psychological depth unprecedented in his time. Born into an educated Philadelphia family, Eakin...