The Met Fifth Avenue is planning on reopening on August 29, pending state and city approval. Your health and safety are our top priorities. Thomas Eakins American. This small platinum study shows a rare glimpse of Thomas Eakins' teaching studio. Posed on a low platform between Eakins, his camera, and a student sketching in the shadows, a nude model rests comfortably, the focus of all attention. In the s and s, Eakins integrated photography into his teaching of art, made photographic studies for his paintings, and also photographs intended as independent works of art.