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.