Artwork
The Old Violin
The Old Violin is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist William Harnett. It dates from 1886 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left, as address on envelope: W.M.Harnett / 28 East 14th St / New York / Chargé; as postmark on envelope: PARIS / 3 27 / AVRIL / 86
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The Old Violin is a 1886 oil on canvas still‑life painting that depicts a solitary, aged violin as its central subject.
The Old Violin is a 1886 oil on canvas still‑life painting that depicts a solitary, aged violin as its central subject. The work belongs to the still‑life genre, a category that American painters of the late nineteenth century used to explore everyday objects with meticulous realism. Harnett’s rendering emphasizes the texture of wood and varnish, drawing attention to the instrument’s worn condition.
The painting’s iconography is limited to the violin itself, without additional symbolic attributes, allowing the object to function as a study of materiality and age. Its provenance records a series of ownership changes from its original sale in Cincinnati to subsequent owners in the mid‑twentieth century, culminating in its acquisition by the National Gallery of Art in 1993.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1886, The Old Violin is an oil painting on canvas by William Michael Harnett. The work measures 96.5 cm in height and 60 cm in width. As a still life, the piece employs the trompe-l'œil technique to create a hyper-realistic illusion of a worn violin, sheet music, and a bow arranged against a dark background.
Harnett's handling of the medium demonstrates meticulous attention to surface texture, capturing the cracked varnish of the instrument and the aged paper of the score with high fidelity. The composition relies on precise brushwork and subtle tonal gradations to achieve its deceptive three-dimensionality, a hallmark of the artist's style during this period.
History & Provenance
The Old Violin, painted by William Michael Harnett in 1886, was first sold at the 1886 Cincinnati Industrial Exhibition to Cincinnati businessman Frank Tuchfarber. It later served as collateral on a loan that resulted in foreclosure by Atlas National Bank in 1912, after which William M. Haas acquired it. The work remained with Haas until the 1930s, then passed to Elizabeth R. Williams and subsequently to her son William J. Williams, who sold it in 1990 to James Maroney before the National Gallery of Art purchased it in 1993.
The Old Violin, an 1886 oil on canvas by William Michael Harnett, is presently in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it remains in the museum’s collection. The work was first exhibited at the 1886 Cincinnati Industrial Exhibition, where it was purchased by Frank Tuchfarber. Its subsequent ownership passed through a series of private holders, including William Haas and the Williams family, before being sold to James Maroney in 1990 and acquired by the National Gallery in 1993. The painting’s dimensions are 96.5 cm × 60 cm.
Overview
William Michael Harnett's "The Old Violin," an oil on canvas created in 1886, is a notable example of still-life painting. The composition features an aged violin alongside various other objects arranged on a surface. The artwork is distinguished by its highly realistic rendering, where the artist's meticulous attention to detail creates a compelling illusion of tangible presence, inviting close examination of each depicted item.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
William Michael Harnett (August 10, 1848 – October 29, 1892) was an American painter known for his trompe-l'œil still lifes of ordinary objects.
