Editing Thomas Eakins (section)

== Teaching Career ==

Eakins joined the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts as a volunteer instructor in 1876, becoming director of the school in 1882. He revolutionized American art education by emphasizing study from nude models—unusual in an era when students typically drew from casts—and requiring anatomy study including observation of dissections. His teaching methods, which prioritized understanding of the human body over conventional academic exercises, influenced a generation of American artists who studied under him.<ref name="goodrich"/>

These same methods led to Eakins' forced resignation in 1886 when he removed a loincloth from a male model in a mixed-gender class. The incident crystallized objections that had accumulated around his unconventional approach, including his insistence on full nudity for life classes and his use of photography as artistic tool. The dismissal represented both institutional conservatism and personal conflicts with Academy board members. Eakins continued teaching privately and at other institutions, but the public humiliation affected him deeply.<ref name="gallery"/>