A Pair of Spectacles
George Cope
American, 1855–1929
Details
Title
A Pair of Spectacles
Artist/Maker
George Cope (American, 1855–1929)
Date
1897
Medium
Oil on artist's board
Dimensions
7 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches
Credit
Purchase through prior acquisition from Alfred Austell Thornton in memory of Leila Austell Thornton and Albert Edward Thornton, Sr., and Sarah Miller Venable and William Hoyt Venable, with gifts of the Alan R. Liederman family and Dr. and Mrs. Joel E. Berenson, and with additional funds from Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schwob
Accession #
2005.216
With this life-sized depiction of spectacles hung casually by string on a nail, George Cope offers a visual metaphor for the act of looking. As the viewer struggles to optically reconcile the flat depiction with the image’s deceptive realism, Cope wittily presents the glasses, should their aid be required.