Why did Thomas Eakins include himself in The Champion Single Sculls?

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Thomas Eakins: Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross (The Gross Clinic) — Thomas Eakins *Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross (The Gross Clinic)*, oil on canvas by Thomas Eakins, 1875; part of the collections of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Art Museum. 2 × 2.5 m.

Thomas Eakins included himself in The Champion Single Sculls (also known as Max Schmitt in a Single Scull) primarily because of his personal passion for the sport. Having recently returned to Philadelphia after four years of study in Europe, Eakins was eager to reconnect with the activities he had missed, particularly rowing.12

As a candid realist who often drew inspiration from his own life, Eakins frequently incorporated himself into his works as an observer. In this specific painting, he depicted himself as the rower in the middle distance to reflect his own fondness for rowing and to ground the composition in his personal experience. This inclusion aligns with the broader autobiographical nature of his art, which often featured the people and environments he knew best.21