John Frederick Peto
John Frederick Peto often relished ambiguity, which was made more puzzling by the conventions of trompe l'oeil (or “fool the eye”) painting, a specialized form of still life popular in America at the end of the 19th century. Works in this style are designed to be elaborate visual deceptions that viewers will mistake for actual three-dimensional tableaux.
What does the title of this painting mean to you?
The Cup We All Race 4 presents a visual rebus and pushes painting beyond representation to question the boundaries between reality and illusion. The central boards—with their hook and nails, tin cup, and incised letters—are painted on the canvas. But the painting’s frame is made of actual wooden boards, painted to match those depicted. The artist’s game is made even more convincing by the realistic scale of all these objects and the mysterious title.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd
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