Art for the Nation    
The Old ViolinWilliam Harnett, Trompe l'Oeil MasterPainting Money  
Trompe l'Oeil William Harnett  
   

A Sprig of Plums by William Harnett
William Michael Harnett, A Sprig of Plums (detail), 1873, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon 1985.64.98

In 1869 Harnett moved to New York, where he worked in an engraving shop and attended Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and later the National Academy of Design. There a fellow student described him as "tall, lean, solemn, Celtic, and wise." Harnett made the subtly shaded relief drawing, A Sprig of Plums, while at the Academy. He also began to exhibit and sell paintings.

 



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