Lot Essay
Mr. Caudles Comfort was completed in 1877 and emulates the classic 'magic realism' that Harnett is known for today. The smoking scene, or bachelor still life, is one of Harnett's favorite subjects. The masculine theme of smoking proved to be one in which he could portray the smell, taste and enjoyment of the tobacco to the fullest. Harnett creates a special effect by cropping the composition so that the pipe is almost sliding off the table. The tin holds tobacco that is so carefully rendered that one can sense the coldness of the tin and the taste of the bitter tobacco. The pipe's smoldering embers emit a small amount of fleeting smoke, leaving the viewer with a sense of curiosity as to who may have left these objects on the table top.
Mr. Caudles Comfort is one of twenty-three paintings by Harnett known to exist from this year. Like other works of 1877, this work is small in scale and depicts the one object that Harnett seems to have most cherished and was destined to paint more then any other--the cherry stemmed pipe. This painting may have been exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in November 1879, an indication of the artist's esteem for its highly detailed and successful composition.
Mr. Caudles Comfort is one of twenty-three paintings by Harnett known to exist from this year. Like other works of 1877, this work is small in scale and depicts the one object that Harnett seems to have most cherished and was destined to paint more then any other--the cherry stemmed pipe. This painting may have been exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in November 1879, an indication of the artist's esteem for its highly detailed and successful composition.