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The Swimming Hole (1884–85) by Thomas Eakins

The Swimming Hole (1884–85) is a painting by Thomas Eakins. It is perhaps the most famous work by Eakins and considered a masterpiece of American painting. In this work, Eakins took advantage of an exception to the generally prudish Victorian attitude to nudity: swimming naked was widely accepted, and for males was seen as normal, even in public spaces. Eakins was the first American artist to portray swimming in the nude. By the 1970s some American writers were beginning to see Eakins' work, and specifically The Swimming Hole, as having homoerotic overtones. However, Eakins' (homo-)sexuality has never been conclusively determined.