Originally written: 16 December 2015
Thomas Eakins’ painting, The Gross Clinic, was created in 1875 with oil on an 8’ by 6’5 canvas; the painting is of five surgeons operating in a full, shadowy classroom. Eakins utilizes a dark, thematic color palette and gruesome subject matter to initiate a discussion and to produce a lot of emotion in his painting. With his style, color choice, figure placement, and detailed expressions, Eakins makes a statement about surgical practitioners and the public’s view of them. First, the Gross Clinic is made up of dark shadows, muted colors, and one large ray of light. The background is eerie, with several men hidden in tiered seating and two lingering in the doorway; hints of white and flesh colored paint subtly highlight cheekbones, foreheads, and chins, alerting the viewer of their substantial presence. The individuals appear to be in an educational setting and are painted with varying hair styles, facial expressions, and postures. Some men watch rather inattentively, leaning into a palm or fist, whereas others take notes, or watch intensely; one man in the doorway even leans on a wall, as if slightly swooning. I believe that the bored looks of the students signify their built up resistance to morbid scenes; additionally, I think that Eakins painted them all in the shadows to symbolize how surgeon’s immunity to gore frightens the public and makes them appear uncaring or monstrous. Second, out of the many figures, only seven are displayed in the light and accentuated: a student, five surgeons, and a woman. Four of these surgeons are working on a human thigh, using towels, scalpels, and other tools. The body is exceedingly pale and its incised portion bleeds meagerly; I would think that this body was a fresh corpse, if the woman was not present. The woman is severely repulsed and upset by the scene, averting her gaze, covering her face with an arm, and cringing. Due to her extreme reaction, and the fact that she is a woman in a typically ‘male-only’ setting, I believe that she is related to the living body in some familial way. Additionally, the woman is wearing a blue head covering and a dark green gown instead of mourning clothes, which would have been improper if there had been a death in the family. hird, the most important figure in the painting is the older gentleman, because he is the largest, lightest figure, and also stands close to the painting’s center. As the focal point, he is portrayed as strong, solemn, and valiant, with one hand resting on the surgical table, and the other poised with a scalpel, bare fingertips moistened with blood. Although grim in appearance, he dons a tight, small smile, as if satisfied by his work and the reactions elicited. He is also very old and tired looking, which could indicate his wealth of knowledge and the burden of his occupation. With his contrary portrayal, I believe that Eakins thinks that the surgical profession is chilling and difficult to carry out, but also admirable and heroic. In conclusion, with the figures and color choices in mind, I believe that Eakins is commenting on several groups of people. The students in the dark represent the public’s fear of becoming used to gruesome scenes or becoming unfeeling. The woman was placed in the image to represent society’s emotions; she shirks away from the surgeons and the scene, much like I believe the public feared, distrusted, and avoided that type of medical practice. The standing surgeon/teacher is a representative of the surgical occupation and is the most important figure in the painting; he is formidable in his dark suit and gore splatter, but is also calm, serious, proud, and portrayed heroically, with light shining down on him with approval. His more frightening aspects derive from society’s views on surgery as a terrifying, uncertain, and maybe even evil, practice. However, Eakins’ portrayal makes the surgeon an ominous savior, and provokes discussion on the more positive aspects of surgery and surgeons.
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