You just can’t talk about rowing, art and Philadelphia, USA, without mentioning the masterful Thomas Eakins. It’s reason enough to move to Philadelphia despite its reputation for political corruption, pitiless parking meter officials and a cracked Liberty Bell.

Eakins, of scientific bent, wanted to depict the “o’clock” of rowing scenes. He went so far as to model two small figures with headscarves to represent rowers he was to paint. By placing the figurines in direct sunlight he was able to document the intricacies of shade and shadow at certain times of day. You, as a rower, also have to be concerned with details of the rigging, oars and shell maintenance for optimum performance — so perhaps this kind of focus was just natural to Eakins, an accomplished rower himself.

In all, his life swirled with controversy and has been studied and written about extensively.  His rowing paintings, such as those at the Philadelphia Museum of Art,  have been analyzed in microscopic detail. Go, see for yourself these true icons of rowing art.

What stands out is Thomas Eakin’s fundamental curiosity and willingness to delve deeply into natural phenomena, water reflections, the river landscape, light and shadow, perspective, boat structures and human anatomy. It is in his devotion to accuracy, authenticity and the milieu of amateur competition that he honors the sport of rowing in timeless fashion.