Ca. 1900 American Trompe lOeil Painting of 1880 $10 Legal Tender "Jackass" Note, Friedberg 111.，Unsigned. Oil on board, 10"x6", within contemporary 13"x9" outer wood frame. A wonderful example of this genre that was uniquely American when it started in the late 1870s--the realistic, deceptive depiction of paper money as art. This depiction was the ultimate form of conspicuous consumption, portraying and selling money itself, and as such remained uniquely American in its heyday that lasted from Trompe LOeil master William Michael Harnetts 1877 painting of a $5 Woodchopper through the first quarter of the 20th century. No similar European works are known, though about 2 dozen American painters specialized in this genre, not including the painters behind unsigned works like this one. The consignors notes attribute this as "possibly Nicholas Alden Brooks," a prolific artist of the genre who used the $10 Jackass note as his subject on multiple occasion. His works are generally clearly signed, and we see no vestiges of a signature on or near the subject note. The once multiply folded note is depicted alone, partially flattened against the backdrop of the woodgrain of the board on which it is painted. A fascinating work that combines art, financial history, and numismatics and that would make a fine addition to the walls of an office or study.Donated by Stanley DeForest Scott to benefit the endowment campaign for the Executive Director position at the American Numismatic Society.
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