Still Life—Violin and Music
Harnett was the leading still-life painter in centennial America, celebrated for pushing the art of trompe l’oeil (French for "fool the eye") to its limits. While this composition may at first appear flat, it is full of depth and plasticity, emphasizing the tension between illusion and reality. The hinged door is slightly ajar, and objects hang on prominent nails, casting strong shadows. These playfully illusionistic still lifes were especially popular with middle-class collectors who favored skillful depictions of realistic subjects.
Artwork Details
- Title: Still Life—Violin and Music
- Artist: William Michael Harnett (1848–1892)
- Date: 1888
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 40 x 30 in. (101.6 x 76.2 cm)
- Credit Line: Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund, 1963
- Object Number: 63.85
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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William Michael Harnett
1879
William Michael Harnett
1888
William Michael Harnett
1888
William Michael Harnett
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