Portrait of Mrs. Richard Day
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966
Accession Number
66.1560
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Jh Purchased From Rehn, Inc., Frank K. M., New York 1964
Art Historical Context
Thomas Eakins, one of America's foremost realist painters, created *Portrait of Mrs. Richard Day* in 1903, late in his prolific career. Born in Philadelphia in 1844 Eakins was renowned for his unflinching realism, drawing from his studies in anatomy, photography, and European academies to capture subjects with psychological depth and lifelike precision. This painting exemplifies his mastery of portraiture, a genre he elevated by emphasizing character over flattery, often portraying sitters from his personal circle or Philadelphia community. As a work from Eakins' mature period, the portrait reflects his commitment to truthful representation amid the shifting tides of American art, bridging 19th-century academic traditions with modernist candor. Though the exact medium remains unspecified, its classification as a painting underscores Eakins' technical prowess in rendering texture, light, and form. Acquired by Joseph H. Hirshhorn from Frank K.M. Rehn, Inc. in New York in 1964 and gifted to the Smithsonian Institution in 1966, it now resides in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, celebrating Eakins' enduring influence on American realism. Visitors will appreciate how this piece invites contemplation of everyday dignity, a hallmark of Eakins' legacy that continues to resonate in museum collections worldwide.