Thomas Henry Hope (1832 - 1926)

Still Life with Raspberries and Pitcher (Untitled), 1904, oil on canvas, signed lower left, dated verso, 8 x 10 inches, presented in a new frame

$2500

Still Life with Raspberries and Pitcher (Untitled) is a fine example of early 20th century trompe l'oeil painting in the tradition of William Michael Harnett and John Frederick Peto, who was likely Thomas Henry Hope's cousin. This is the sort of painting that would inspire many of the American modernists and American Scene painters three decades later, as they looked to earlier traditions to find a usable past for their national project. Hope was born in Sussex, England, and immigrated to the United States as a young man, initially to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and later to Devon, Connecticut. He served as a musician in the Union Army during the Civil War and began art studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts under George Bensell, eventually graduating in 1881. He exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1882. In addition to his fine art practice, Hope worked as a musician and bandmaster. He is listed in Who Was Who in American Art and other standard references.