William Michael Harnett

William Michael Harnett began painting still lifes early in his career, initially limiting himself to the fruit and flower subjects common in 17th-century Dutch painting. In 1876, perhaps influenced by the foreign objects, art, and antiques that he saw at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, Harnett began to paint manmade items as well, such as musical instruments, books, beer mugs, and smoking pipes.