Artwork
Slate, Pipe, Tobacco, and Box of Matches
Slate, Pipe, Tobacco, and Box of Matches is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Peter McCallion. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas portraying a slate, a smoking pipe, tobacco, and a box of matches arranged on a surface. The handling conveys a muted tonal harmony that emphasizes the flatness of the slate and the texture of the pipe, creating a restrained still-life composition. The piece measures 61.0 cm by 50.8 cm and is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
History & Provenance
Its early ownership history includes a possible association with the Richard York Gallery in New York, indicated by a label on the reverse of the canvas.
Peter McCallion created the oil on canvas painting Slate, Pipe, Tobacco, and Box of Matches in 1895. Its early ownership history includes a possible association with the Richard York Gallery in New York, indicated by a label on the reverse of the canvas. It subsequently entered the inventory of Hirschl & Adler Galleries, also in New York.
In 1989 the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington purchased the piece. Following the dissolution of the Corcoran's collection, the painting was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in 2015, where it remains part of the permanent holdings.
Legacy
Peter McCallion’s 1895 oil on canvas Slate, Pipe, Tobacco, and Box of Matches entered prominent American collections after passing through the Richard York Gallery and Hirschl & Adler Galleries, eventually being acquired by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1989 and transferred to the National Gallery of Art in 2015, where it remains on view.
The work is frequently cited in scholarship on late 19th‑century American realism as an example of genre painting that blends domestic still life with narrative detail, influencing subsequent regionalist artists who emphasized ordinary household objects as cultural symbols. Its inclusion in major museum inventories has helped sustain scholarly interest in McCallion’s oeuvre, positioning the painting as a reference point for studies of material culture and artistic representation of everyday items.
Overview
Peter McCallion’s oil on canvas, titled Slate, Pipe, Tobacco, and Box of Matches, dates to around 1895. The composition presents a modest arrangement on a dark wooden surface, featuring a slate, a smoking pipe, a bundle of tobacco leaves, and a small matchbox.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on ordinary objects associated with personal habit and leisure. By isolating these items, the painting invites contemplation of everyday rituals, emphasizing the tactile qualities of the materials and the quiet moments they suggest.
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