Thomas Eakins painted several portraits of his pupils at the Art Students League in Philadelphia, including this one of James Wright. Set against a dark background, Wright’s head and hands are illuminated, highlighting the mental and manual aspects of artmaking. The red fabric square in the student’s breast pocket gestures to a third element required for creative work, the heart.

Eakins was a passionate educator, though his unconventional teaching methods, including allowing female students to draw from male nude models in figure-drawing courses, ultimately led to his dismissal.