Victor Dubreuil (active 1888-1900)

In his important essay on American tromple l'oeil images of currency, Dr. Bruce Chambers writes, ". . . the vast majority of Dubreuil's paintings deal with the subject of money. Sometimes this money appears in traditional tabletop still lifes, and at other times he depicts single or multiple bills attached to flat surfaces in the manner of Harnett, Haberle and Brooks. Yet one of the most notable characteristics of his work is his thematic and compositional inventiveness. His barrels and safes full of money stand out as unique contributions, and he gives his own peculiarly sardonic twist to ideas that others treated more conventionally."

"Nor does he seem to care so much for the painstaking craftsmanship invlolved in 'fooling the eye.' His drawings and perspective are often awkward, even crude; his compositions, rather than being harmoniously balanced, are graphically insistent, demanding rather than seducing the viewer's attention." ("Old Money: American Trompe l'Oeil Images of Currency," New York, 1988, pp. 70-71)