Sailing

Like many Super Bowl fans, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and The Philadelphia Museum of Art made a friendly bet prior to the big game. Our Kansas City Chiefs' win meant a win for art lovers, too. This painting by Thomas Eakins is the oil-on-canvas equivalent of the coveted Lombardi trophy. Philadelphia-based painter Eakins was renowned as a portraitist. Fitting for this Super Bowl bet prize, he was also known for depictions of athletic pursuits and outdoor activities such as rowing and sailing races. But the two men in this boat aren't in a race. The boat, known as a ducker, tells us that this painting is of another of Eakins' favorite subjects-game bird hunting. In the late afternoon light, ...