Skip to content

When a man paints a naked woman he gives her less than poor Nature did. I can conceive of few circumstances wherein I would have to paint a woman naked, but if I did I would not mutilate her for double the money. She is the most beautiful thing there is — except a naked man, but I never saw a study of one exhibited.

— Thomas Eakins

Another quote →

More quotes by Thomas Eakins

I have but little patience with the false modesty which is the greatest enemy to all figure painting.

I see no impropriety in looking at the most beautiful of Nature's works, the naked figure. If there is impropriety, then just where does such impropriety begin?

I have never discovered that the nude could be studied in any way except the way I have adopted. All the muscles must be pointed out. To do this all the drapery must be removed.

We appreciate politeness when we are far from home. We may have different ideas of the word.

A teacher can do very little for a pupil and should only be thankful if he don't hinder him, and the greater the master, mostly the less he can say.

All Thomas Eakins quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Thomas Eakins (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.