The book "Eakins Revealed: The Secret Life of an American Artists" bases a lot of its conclusions (or discussion at least) on "interpretations" of the artwork and photographs of Thomas Eakins. We learn that Tom painted his wife Susan where it makes her look bad and so (we guess) he didn't like her too much. We also learn that some art history graduate students at Case Western Reserve University looked at a photo of Tom and thought he looked either "conniving" or "like a murder". Tom's photos, we're told, make him look "mentally deranged". And I guess we're supposed to know that Tom's students didn't like posing for his nude photography studies since they averted their eyes or looked uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, some of us less educated readers who look at pictures are in for a surprise. For instance, we might think that Susan doesn't look all that bad in the picture. We are stunned when we see photos of Tom smiling and looking pleasant. More amazingly we look at the pictures of the students and think they look no more ill at ease than professional models in modern art classes. And we suspect that the students who wished to turn their faces from the camera did so with Tom's approval because he was aware of Victorian standard of propriety (in art schools of that era, female models in that era often wore veils or masks).

But without doubt the strangest photographic or artistic interpretation in this book are the conclusions drawn from a photograph of Ella Crowell, Tom's niece, standing by a tree. To those who don't know the story, Ella committed suicide after (apparently) telling her parents that her Uncle Tom, among other things had subjected her to his "degrading touch" while she was living with him and Susan.

Here's what we're told about this photo. Ella looks miserable. She is desperate. She not only did not want to be photographed, but she was being "hunted". Eakins (and believe it or not, this is what the book really says) had "trapped" Ella between himself and the tree. She was trying to "dodge to one side". Furthermore Eakins behavior was like a "lover's pursuit", we're told, but not a "playful" pursuit. Instead, Tom was pursuing her with a "hint of sadism".

All this from an old blurred photograph of a young lady standing by a tree.

Now what is particularly interesting is that right next to the photo of Ella is a picture of her dad, Will. I'll admit he doesn't look particularly unhappy and is staring off into the distance and looks amazingly noble and distinguished for a guy (as we learn) who did nothing but sit around the local general store and read newspapers. But what is really nagging is that it looks like both photos were taken at the same place and this raises the question if both were taken by Tom and when.

There appears to be no definite documentation as to who took the photo of Will. In "Writing about Eakins" by Kathleen Foster it is cited as being from the estate of Gordon Hendricks. In "Eakins Revealed" it just says "the circle of Thomas Eakins". Probability theory alone indictes the photo was by Tom since by and large he took most of the photos of the Crowell family.

But there's even a bit stronger reason to think both photos were by Tom and even taken the same place. In his photo, Will, like Ella, is also standing in front of a tree. In the background there is a wooden rail fence. Immediately in front of the fence is a lighter level area of ground. Moving down to the mid-background - there is a darker, rougher area where it looks like there is a slight drop in elevation leading down to where the tree stands.

Now switch to Ella's photo. There is also a wooden rail fence in the background. There is the level area in front of the fence and the rougher area in the mid-background.

Now consider the tree itself. The overall shape is very close in both photos but I'll concede it may not look like a perfect match. Could this discrepancy be from the slight shift in the camera position and angle? Closer scrutiny of the background in both photos certainly make it look like it.

If you look closely at a blow up of both photos, you can make out the top rail (very faintly) as it appears from behind the left side of the tree in Ella's picture. Match this with the fence at the same point in Will's photo and you'll see a number of background matches as you move down the side of the tree.

What is particularly striking is what happens if you take Will's photo, increase the brightness of the background and tree to fit those in of Ella's picture. The matching of a number of points and shapes - including the fence, level background, and sloping midground - quite literally jump out at you.

Want to decide for yourself? Click here (and by even the most stringent standards, this is "fair use"). If you see what I see the conclusion seems inescapable. The photos were taken - although with a slight shift of camera position and angle - at the same spot.

You could argue that the spot was simply a particular favorite with the Avondale Eakins and they would have photographers set up their cameras at the same place. I'll concede it's possible, but a more logical explanation is that Tom took both photos and he took them at the same time and same place. So whole absurd scenario of Tom's "pursuit" of Ella comes tumbling down.

After all, are to believe that as Ella's dad stood around - or even if he sat on the porch or in the house with her mom and nine siblings - that Tom "hunted" Ella in a "lover's pursuit" with a "hint of sadism", "trapped" her by the tree (all the time carrying around a nineteenth century camera, mind you), and took her photo of her looking "desperate" before she "dodged away"? Then if the above reasoning is correct, Tom called to Will and said, "Well, Will, as you saw I just 'hunted' Ella in a 'lover's pursuit' with a 'hint of sadism' and 'trapped' her by this tree. Then I saw she looked 'desperate' and took her photo before she 'dodged away'. And since I've got my camera here I figured you might like your photograph taken in the same place. How about it?" And obviously Will said, "Why, Tom, that's fine with me. I'll put this newspaper down and stand looking nobly off into the distance. Maybe I can see where Ella 'dodged away' to."

Until someone who can document that another photographer took Will's photo at someother time, I'll simply conclude Tom took the photos as family snapshots on a visit to Avondale. Maybe Ella didn't like her photo being taken, but the picture has nothing to say about the relationship between Ella and Tom.