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The Biglin Brothers Turning the Stake
Thomas Eakins, 1873
This painting celebrates athletic teamwork and remembers a real event, a famous rowing race on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia in May 1872. The Cleveland Museum of Art describes crowds of spectators on the riverbank watching Barney and John Biglin steer around the stake that marks the halfway point. Their rivals, in the middle distance on the right, are behind.
The Biglin brothers won the race and became the most celebrated oarsmen of their time. Thomas Eakins trained in the United States and France and spent nearly all of his career in his home city of Philadelphia.
The painting is large, about 101 by 151 centimetres without its frame. It captures a moment of concentration, with both men leaning into the same stroke.
From the museum record
| Artist | Thomas Eakins |
|---|---|
| Date | 1873 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Size | Unframed: 101.3 x 151.4 cm |
| Museum | The Cleveland Museum of Art |
| Credit line | Hinman B. Hurlbut Collection |
| Accession number | 1927.1984 |
| Licence | Open Access (CC0) |
Source: The Cleveland Museum of Art collection record. Facts such as dates, sizes and credit lines come from that record. The write-up above was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the museum record and standard references. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
