Penny Arcade Machine

Joseph Cornell American

Not on view

The Wadsworth Atheneum was the first museum to acquire the work of Joseph Cornell. When the artist went there, he saw a prized recent acquisition then thought to be by Caravaggio. Later attributed to an unknown French painter, it became the basis for four Cornell box sculptures, which are like reliquaries for the objects of his desire, from Renaissance princes to ballerinas and Hollywood starlets. Although titled Penny Arcade Machine, this box does not feature the chutes, hidden ramps, and rolling balls or marbles featured in other examples.

Penny Arcade Machine, Joseph Cornell (American, Nyack, New York 1903–1972 Flushing, New York), Box construction: wood, glass, mirror, and printed paper

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