Irish-American, 1848-1892

Harnett was the most imitated and skillful still-life painter in late nineteenth-century America, celebrated for his many arrangements that pushed the art of trompe l’oeil (French for “fool the eye”) to its limits. While this complex composition may at first appear flat, it is full of depth and plasticity, emphasizing the tension between illusion and reality. The depicted hinged door is slightly ajar, and the humble objects hang on prominent nails, casting strong shadows. The instruments and torn sheet music for a popular Irish reel underline Harnett’s humorous sense of play as well as his Irish-American identity.

Education
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Cooper Union, New York, New York, USA

Collections
Albright-Knox Art Gallery
Amon Carter Museum
Dallas Museum of Art
Art Institute of Chicago
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Carnegie Museum of Art
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Detroit Institute of Arts
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Harvard University Art Museums
High Museum of Art
Honolulu Museum of Art
Joslyn Art Museum
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Canada
Philadelphia Museum of Art
San Diego Museum of Art
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Toledo Museum of Art
Wadsworth Atheneum
Wichita Art Museum