William Michael Harnett, The Old Violin (detail) 1886, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mellon Scaife in honor of Paul Mellon 1993.15.1

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The artist used subtle shading and highlights to create the ripples and creases on the smooth blue envelope. He deftly angled and clipped the corner to suggest that the envelope had been stuck into the frame, turning the illusion on end: perhaps the envelope is the only real object here and everything else is painted? To extend the deception even further, Harnett used the self-addressed envelope as his signature for the painting. Harnett seems to be teasing the viewer here: why, after using such painstaking techniques to fool the public, would the artist reassert his identity in such a tangible form?