The Oak Door
Artist: Alexander Pope (American, 1849–1924)
Original Dimensions: 50" x 41"
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
About Artwork: (1887) "The carvings and illustrations with which Pope began his artistic career usually portrayed living birds and animals. William Michael Harnett’s accomplishments apparently inspired him to attempt trompe-l’oeil (“deceive the eye”) still lifes in the 1880s. This work, a trophy of the hunt, depicts with extraordinary accuracy a Remington Arms rifle, a crocheted game bag, and a dead ring-necked pheasant. Rather than simulating the grain of an oak door, Pope painted on an oak panel, added a matching oak frame, and delineated Renaissance Revival hinges, an escutcheon of Chippendale design, and a lion’s-head pull." - (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Panel content
Panel content