Pushing for Rail  1874

Eakins enjoyed hunting waterfowl with his father and friends in the tidal marshes of New Jersey’s Delaware River. In addition to a severe case of malaria, the 1873 expeditions resulted in a series of works, including this painting. Hunting for rail—small game birds that populate marshes—is possible only at high tide, when the "pusher" can propel the flat-bottomed boat thro...