The artwork titled “Billy Smith” by Thomas Eakins, created circa 1898, is an oil painting on canvas that measures 50 by 40.6 centimeters. It belongs to the Realism movement and falls under the genre of portraiture. Currently, it is housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, located in Philadelphia, PA, United States.
The artwork depicts a male figure seated on a wooden stool, partially nude, and engaged in the activity of swinging what appears to be a weight or heavy object with both hands. The subject’s body is rendered with meticulous attention to muscular detail, characteristic of Eakins’ realist approach. The background is a textured, earthy brown, providing a stark contrast that accentuates the form and motion of the figure. The composition captures a moment of focused exertion, emphasized by the tension in the subject’s arms and the positioning of his legs, conveying both the physicality and discipline inherent in the portrayed activity.
