Thomas Eakins was a born teacher, and when PAFA opened its new building in 1876, he volunteered to take over the life classes. In 1882 he was appointed Director of the School.
From the first he introduced new methods, discarding the old, long apprenticeship in drawing from antique casts, and basing the curriculum on thorough study of the nude. Anatomy was stressed, a dissecting room started in the school, and the students were encouraged to paint from the very beginning.
Under his directorship the school became one of the most progressive and successful in America. His dismissal in 1886 was caused in part by his overemphasis on the use of the nude model. His most devoted students left PAFA and founded the Art Students’ League of Philadelphia, which he directed for about six years without pay.
Also see the 1880s The Thomas Eakins Era at the Academy.