"Modern critics of Eakins have described his artistic motivations and beliefs as prurient and even pathological. Amy Werbel challenges these interpretations and suggests instead that Eakins is best understood as a socially progressive artist and teacher devoted to an exacting and profound study of the human body, to equality for women and men, and to middle-class meritocratic and Quaker philosophies." "Anchored by a wealth of archival material, this book persuasively counters recent sensationalized portrayals of Eakins and is essential reading for anyone interested in nineteenth-century American art and cultural history."--Jacket.
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