Editing Thomas Eakins (section)

== Major Works ==

"The Gross Clinic" (1875), depicting renowned surgeon Samuel Gross performing an operation at Jefferson Medical College, stands as Eakins' masterpiece and one of the most significant American paintings of the nineteenth century. The work's unflinching depiction of surgery—blood on the surgeon's hands, the patient's exposed flesh, the intensity of the medical team—shocked contemporary viewers accustomed to idealized academic painting. Rejected by the art exhibition at the 1876 Centennial Exposition, the painting was displayed instead with the medical exhibits, reflecting the gap between Eakins' vision and contemporary taste.<ref name="goodrich"/>

Eakins' rowing paintings, including "Max Schmitt in a Single Scull" (1871) and "The Biglin Brothers Racing" (1872), applied scientific precision to scenes of recreation along the Schuylkill River. These works demonstrate Eakins' mathematical approach to perspective and his interest in depicting contemporary Philadelphia life. His later medical painting "The Agnew Clinic" (1889) returned to surgical subject matter with a composition more accessible than "The Gross Clinic" while maintaining the earlier work's commitment to accuracy.<ref name="gallery"/>