Thomas Eakins Between Rounds

Between Rounds
A sport that requires speed, strength, quick reflexes and endurance to compete against an opponent is boxing. The two boxers wear padded gloves as they fight for a total of 12 rounds within that time frame the opponent has to be knocked out. Boxing may seem like a sport that many people do not watch but is still popular in modern society. The skills that fighters’ such as Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao acquire is a form of art. A Philadelphia native who believed that boxing was a form of art, was painter Thomas Eakins. Currently this famous painting that portrayed boxing is Between Rounds, located in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Between Rounds is not just any ordinary painting as it represents the talent needed for a
manly sport like boxing.
Thomas Eakins was an extraordinary painter, photographer, sculptor and fine arts educator born in Philadelphia in 1844.
When he first began his young career the paintings were portraits, but after a few years he started with boxing “subjects.” The inspiration came after he attended matches in the Philadelphia Arena. His fame came from his ability to do many different forms of art which also made him a substantial artist. As a student Eakins was very intelligent and studied anatomy at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts along with courses at Jefferson Medical College. Later on he continued to study in Europe and worked with other artists. From early on Thomas Eakins loved the human body and was very interested in it. As stated in an article, “Already at age 24, ‘Nudity and verity were linked with an unusual closeness in his mind’. Yet his desire for truthfulness was more expansive, and the letters home to Philadelphia revealed a passion for realism that included, but was not limited to, the study of the figure” (thomaseakins 1). As a result of this passion he had, most of the art work done by him was about the naked human body. Of course he received criticism from the audience, but his real intent was to show how magical the human body really is on the inside. Despite the criticism the artist gained his reputation towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. In more particular, this was around the time art was gaining recognition because people wanted something different, which Eakins’ works
presented. Thomas Eakins redefined the meaning of art in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The audience now had a different outlook on art and the criticism decreased by a large margin. Many artists tend to follow other preceding artists while Eakins had a different mindset. He created a new movement which was original and different. Regardless, people would critique because they did not like the concept of nudity. Nevertheless, Thomas never stopped chasing the passion he had for art. Earlier in his career, he had gone back to teach at the Pennsylvania Academy and, not to anyone’s surprise, he was questioned. His teaching ways were not ethical and he had to resign after he asked students about a nude male body. During the earlier years of his life there was nothing but hatred for his work. The public did not realize the talent of an artist like Thomas Eakins until the later years of his career. Eakins had a love for boxing because there was so much “art” surrounding it. When he went to see the matches at Philadelphia Arena he realized how much skill the boxers had. Every block, punch and dodge the boxers did required so much focus. How does this relate to art? Well, art requires a lot of focus especially for a painter like Thomas Eakins. Each stroke has to be precise to make sure every detail is incorporated into the painting. After observing the matches, he was motivated to make paintings of these human bodies that were so beautiful to him.
After returning to the male figure in the late 1890s, Eakins begins creating boxing paintings. The second largest canvas done by him was Taking the Count, which displayed two fighters, with one was on the ground getting back up while the other stood tall. However, his most famous painting was the 1899 Between Rounds. In the painting, “boxer Billy Smith posed seated in his corner at Philadelphia's Arena; in fact, all the principles were posed for by models re-enacting their roles in what had been an actual fight” (thomaseakins 1). Basically, Smith is in the corner getting cooled down by his staff and his coach is advising him. There is also a man sitting on a chair who I assume is keeping track of the rounds. This scene is one that occurs in every match between the rounds. Hence the reason why the painting is called that. Why is this painting so important? This is not just any ordinary painting, it is one that has deep meaning. In a boxing match, once one boxer knocks out the other the round is complete and the next one begins. Just like that, in life we are knocked down over and over again, but we must get right back up and move on to the “following round.” It reminds the people in life that we will always get another chance, do not get discouraged just because we are knocked down. When an average person looks at this painting, they assume it is “just a boxing painting,” but really there is a far greater purpose behind it.
In conclusion, Between Rounds was really inspiring to me personally. I enjoy watching boxing myself, which is why I chose this piece of art. However, after doing research on it, the meaning behind such a simple painting blew my mind. The Philadelphia Museum of Art had other great canvas surrounding Between Rounds, but this one in particular was eye catching. I was mesmerized by the connection I could make to a piece of art. Growing up I had faced many difficulties, to see that I was able to get back up after being “knocked out” numerous times, motivates me to this day. Thomas Eakins was not just any painter, he was one of the most inspirational artists from the 19th century. He may have had many struggles when his young career started, but when he died at the age of 72, he left a mark in the art world because he fought through those obstacles.