The Secretary's Table
William Michael HARNETT
(Irish, 1848-1892 (active USA))
The Secretary's Table
Date1879
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensionsoverall: 14 x 20 in. (35.6 x 50.8 cm)
frame: 20 3/4 x 26 1/2 x 3 1/8 in. (52.7 x 67.3 x 7.9 cm)
ClassificationPAINTINGS
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Mrs. Sterling Morton for the Preston Morton Collection
Object number1960.60
Subject(s)
- still lifes
Collection
- 19th century American
- American
Sub-Collection(s)
- Irish
- American
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextThe incredible level of detail in this still life is typical of the talented Harnett, who chose the representation of everyday objects as his specialization. The steady demand among 19th-century American collectors for decorative pictures of this variety meant that he could afford to travel to Munich and Paris later in his career, where he further honed his sophistication as a still-life specialist. Harnett succeeded the Peale family as the dominant artist in this genre. In this meticulous work, Harnett includes clues to its probable client: the foreshortened pad bears the inscription June 28/see Mr Clarke/at St George Hotel, which refers to the collector Thomas B. Clarke. The dots of red wax on the candlestick imply that the bright red wax stick had just been used to seal the blue envelope at the bottom left corner. As such, this is as much a witty portrait of the transaction between Harnett and Clarke as it is a testament to the elegant appointment of the artist’s letter-writing supplies, including the stationery adorned with the embossed motif of a Japanese fan decorated with a crane and bamboo.
