Thomas Eakins shared his era's fascination with the individual human being—with his or her capacity for intellectual achievement, psychological intricacy, and vulnerability to the ravages of nature. Yet among painters of his time Eakins was unusual in that he expressed this interest directly.

In the mid-1960s Jack Earl was introduced to the world of European figurative ceramics through illustrated books in the Toledo Museum of Art's library.

Born 1751, Worcester County, Mass. Family moved to Leicester, Mass., where he grew up. Art study unknown. 1774, established studio in New Haven, Conn. Married Sarah Gates, later divorced. A loyalist, he left Connecticut 1777, arrived in London, April 1778.

Robert Ebendorf is a master jewelry maker in America today. His work is famed for his imaginative combining of disparate materials. In this neckpiece, [Necklace, SAAM, 1984.53] Ebendorf marries gold, silver, ebony, and amber in a colorful display.