A Bachelor's Drawer
This is the last and among the largest of Haberle’s humorous trompe-l’oeil (French for "fool the eye") still lifes. Arranged against a simulated drawer front and rendered with remarkable precision are the intimate souvenirs of a bachelor’s freedom, including theater stubs, playing cards, and "girlie" photographs. Other items—including a pamphlet entitled "How To Name the Baby" and a cartoon of a dyspeptic infant—signal the end of premarital life for men. Haberle’s self-portrait, in a simulated tintype at the bottom edge of the canvas, which functions as a signature, suggests that the narrative is autobiographical.
Artwork Details
- Title: A Bachelor's Drawer
- Artist: John Haberle (1856–1933)
- Date: 1890–94
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 20 x 36 in. (50.8 x 91.4 cm)
- Credit Line: Purchase, Henry R. Luce Gift, 1970
- Object Number: 1970.193
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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