Thomas Eakins, American, b. - Mrs. Madison - (1875-1876) - T-Shirt

A pencil costume study by Thomas Eakins, sketching two women in period dress and annotating each garment in his own hand.

Visual Elements & Composition

The sheet is dominated by off-white paper and graphite grey pencil, with soft outlines rather than heavy shading. Two half-length figures sit on the page: the upper one wears a close cap, a high ruffled collar and a lace necklace, while the lower one wears a cap, a short-sleeved dress and a shawl falling across the front of the gown. Handwritten notes run beside each figure and read Mrs Madison, Fine lace collar, White or light cambric dress and Full red orange silk dress, so the text is as much a part of the composition as the drawing.

Meaning & Symbolism

The drawing is a costume record. Eakins copied the figures from an engraving credited to Goodman & Peguet and published in Philadelphia by Harrison Hall, and his notes identify each garment and fabric so the details of dress are fixed on paper. Working from printed sources in this way let him study period clothing before setting it accurately in a finished painting. Born in Philadelphia in 1844, Eakins went on to paint portraits, genre scenes and historical subjects, and this sheet, catalogued as 1875-1876, shows the careful documentation that shaped his method.

Crafted for the Wearer's Eye

A sheet of notes and sketches is meant to be read up close, and this design rewards that. Across the chest, the figures and their handwritten annotations sit at a scale you can take in at a glance and study on a second look. Each sketched collar, shawl and cap points back to the careful observation behind the original page.