Thomas Eakins, American, b. - Three Figures - 1875-1876 - T-Shirt

This tee reproduces a pencil costume study by Thomas Eakins, in which three standing figures in period dress are sketched on a sheet of ruled paper alongside handwritten notes.

Visual Elements & Composition

The sheet is dominated by off-white paper and graphite grey line work. On the left, a woman in a long skirt holds a parasol in one hand and a small bag in the other, her head partly covered by a light veil. At the centre stands a man in a tall top hat and a fitted waistcoat with a row of buttons. At the right, a second man in a top hat and long coat rests one hand on a walking stick, his boots drawn in close detail. The figures are outlined with quick, firm strokes, with light hatching on the coat and shading on the skirt. Along the right margin and across the top, handwritten notes describe garment colours, trims, gloves and fabrics, and these annotations give the sheet its character.

Meaning & Symbolism

The drawing works as a costume and staging record. Eakins fixed the clothing and accessories in writing so that they could be reproduced accurately in a finished painting, and the notes place the group in a holiday gathering in a public square. Eakins (1844–1916) worked through the 1870s on genre subjects drawn from contemporary Philadelphia life, and studies like this one show his method: figures and dress were checked against observation before the composition was resolved. The original sheet belongs to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden collection.

Reading the Study on a Tee

A costume study rewards a closer look. The figures read clearly at a glance, but the handwriting only comes into focus at close range, which is how a shirt is seen when someone stands in conversation with the wearer. The design carries the same attention to detail that Eakins gave his subjects, so each figure and note stays legible across the chest.