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Lot Essay
Claude Riguet Hirst was one of very few women to excel in the American trompe l'oeil still-life tradition. After studying at the McMicken School of Design in Cincinnati, in 1882 she moved to a Union Square studio in New York City where she was part of the burgeoning artist community. A member of the American Water Color Society and the Women's Art Club, she began her still-life career depicting feminine objects such as knitting needles and fans but soon became known for her depictions of a "gentleman's table," complete with pipe, tobacco and well-worn books.
Although Hirst has been nicknamed "the female Harnett," she developed her own distinct style of still-life. In particular, whereas Harnett treated books mostly as props and compositional devices, Hirst centers worn volumes in the foreground as if inviting the viewer to enter the scene. Unfortunately, during the renaissance of trompe l'oeil in the late 1930s, many works by talented yet lesser-known artists were spuriously signed Harnett in order to attract interest. As a female, Hirst was particularly vulnerable. In the 1950s, these false attributions were analyzed by scholar Alfred Frankenstein, and the present work was once again correctly credited to Hirst.
Although Hirst has been nicknamed "the female Harnett," she developed her own distinct style of still-life. In particular, whereas Harnett treated books mostly as props and compositional devices, Hirst centers worn volumes in the foreground as if inviting the viewer to enter the scene. Unfortunately, during the renaissance of trompe l'oeil in the late 1930s, many works by talented yet lesser-known artists were spuriously signed Harnett in order to attract interest. As a female, Hirst was particularly vulnerable. In the 1950s, these false attributions were analyzed by scholar Alfred Frankenstein, and the present work was once again correctly credited to Hirst.