Eakins’ portrait of the young woman Kathrin raises questions about the artistic conventions of representing the female form. Kathrin does not appear as a sexual being—her bunched up dress hides her figure and her skin appears sickly. The inclusion of fans and cats in portraits (see Manet’s Young Woman Reclining in Spanish Costume) typically signals female sexuality; however, Eakins negates the association in this portrait. Representing Kathrin as withdrawn into the shadows and into herself, Eakins places her in the role of subject rather than object. He has not portrayed her in the traditional mode as an aesthetic entity on display. By revealing the reality of the subject rather than glamorizing her, Eakins challenges artistic conventions. He represents the scene with a cold, objective eye and refuses to make his work conform to tradition or social standards.