Director of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Thomas Eakins's teaching methods, for example promoting the study of anatomy through photographs, promoting the study of anatomy through observation of dissections, allowing women to study the full male n.ude were controversial and led to him being forced to resign in 1886.
Although in contemporary terms he did make a breakthrough when it comes to artistic methods, at the time it was far too controversial for him to be considered a good teacher and an artist.