One of harnett's largest still life works, it was commissioned by james t. Abbe, owner of the holyoke envelope company, president of the springfield daily union. A report in the springfield daily republican stated that harnett spent seven months painting. Mr. Abbe sold it several months later to wealthy california railroad tycoon collis p. Huntington, for $6,000. It was kept in one of huntington's mansions which was destroyed by fire in the san francisco earthquake of 1906, and presumed destroyed by the art world. The painting had been partially damaged by the fire and had all 4 sides trimmed, including the original signature in the lower left corner. It had been passed down by the family until in 1971 an art gallery in castro valley, california acquired it, and it was reported to alfred frankenstein, an art historian and critic who identified it from a very old photograph reportedly of the painting. It depicts several objects related to mr. Abbe's life, including notably an envelope at the center of the frame containing a postmark for "holyoke, mass. ", representing his business. The flute is described as not likely being an artifact of mr. Abbe however, as it appears almost ubiquitously in harnett's works. According to alfred frankenstein in his treatise on harnett, "after the hunt", the illegible newspaper shown with the cigar was reported by later auctions as a copy of the cincinnati enquirer. Object Type: painting. Date: 1886. Dimensions: height: 1,219 mm (47.99 in); width: 1,340 mm (52.75 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Amon Carter Museum of American Art. William Michael Harnett - Ease - Google Art Project
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