Baseball Players Practicing
1875 Philadelphia Museum of Art
About this artwork
This watercolor depicts two baseball players in uniform on a field with a stadium in the background. It is a notable example of the artist's interest in athletic movement and American sporting life in the late 19th century.
Did you know?
Thomas Eakins was famously obsessed with the mechanics of the human body and scientific accuracy in art, often using photography to study movement. His depiction of baseball was quite progressive for the time, as he treated the sport as a serious subject for fine art rather than a mere leisure activity. The players in this work are shown in a naturalistic pose that reflects Eakins' commitment to observation over idealized form.
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Baseball Players Practicing
Thomas Eakins, 1875
