John Haberle: American Master of Illusion

Of the three great nineteenth-century American trompe l oeil artists William Michael Harnett (1848 1892), John Frederick Peto (1854 1907), and John Haberle (1856 1933) the least well known is Haberle. Haberle approached painting with an informed and sophisticated connoisseurship. A highly original artist, he often alluded to complicated, ingenious, and entertaining aspects of contemporary society. The rarity of his work only adds to its allure. This catalogue, the seminal study of Haberle s life and work, illuminates the artist and his witty works of art that continue to enthrall viewers today.