Antiquated Music (Portrait of Sarah Sagehorn Frishmuth)

Sarah Sagehorn Frishmuth was a celebrated amateur musician in Philadelphia and a collector of rare musical instruments, and Eakins's 1900 portrait depicts her seated among her collection of antique instruments — hence the poetic subtitle 'Antiquated Music.' The painting is one of Eakins's most elaborate compositional arrangements, with the sitter surrounded by historical instruments reflecting her scholarly passion. It belongs to his series connecting individual identity with intellectual or artistic vocation, a programme that constitutes one of the most significant bodies of American portrait painting. The work is now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Frishmuth is presented in a rich, dark interior surrounded by instruments that fill the canvas with visual interest. Eakins applies paint with characteristic care in the face and hands; the instruments receive detailed, lustrous treatment. The warm palette of deep reds and polished wood tones creates a sumptuous atmosphere.