Still-life with Flute and Times
In 1886, Irish-born William Harnett was arrested by New York police for displaying one of his paintings. His depiction of a five-dollar bill was so realistic he was charged with counterfeiting and scolded for wasting his talents on such endeavors. Clearly Harnett was a talented trompe l'oeil, or "trick the eye," painter. Still-life with Flute and Times displays the same convincing deception: the mimetic stoneware texture of the stein and the thin, raised rim of the pipe bowl are created through meticulous layering and build-up of paint.
Credit: Bequest of Donald J. Lucker
1877
Oil on canvas
11.6 x 15.7in
2015.82.2
Image and text courtesy of Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2022
Where you'll find this
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Permanent collection