This looks so real.
Alexander Pope was known during his lifetime for his paintings of animals and game birds, but he is remembered today for his group of trompe-I'oeil "trophy" paintings.
"Trompe l'oeil" means "fool the eye." He painted these objects in an illusionistic manner -- they look very real, almost as though we could touch them. Look closely at some of the details and textures!
He may have been thinking of the tradition of hanging memorabilia of the Civil War in one's home -- the weapons and possessions of family members who fought in the conflict.
Tell me more about this.
What a detail! This collection of objects stands in as a portrait of their owner, a soldier for the Union, or the North, in the US Civil War.
The key is labeled "Libby Prison," a Confederate prison that was in Richmond Virginia that was the site of wartime atrocities. This key was presented to Major General William B. Tibbits, whose family commissioned this painting, as a memento by Union General Daniel Sickles.
Cool! Thanks!
You're welcome!