Nineteenth-century figure paintings, portraits, and genre pictures (portrayals of everyday life) represent an important chapter in the history of American art development, and several examples of these types of paintings are found in the ACMAA collection. "Swimming" (1885) by Thomas Eakins (1844–1916) is one of the best-known realist figure paintings in the history of American art. A summation of Eakins’ painting technique and belief system, "Swimming" was acquired for the ACMAA collection in 1990. "Crossing the Pasture" (1871–72) by Winslow Homer (acquired 1976) combines the artist’s skills as a figure painter with his gift for storytelling to create a charming image of rural New York life.