'Still Life, Potatoes with Fly.' Reverse painted glass. Signed bottom right. 10 1/4 x 13 1/2"; 14 1/4 x 17 1/2" (framed).

The fly would appear to be a trompe l'oeil deception and would have been painted at the height of American trompe l'oeil and the careers of William Harnett, John Haberle and John F. Peto.

Guelpa was an advocate for the ancient technique of reverse glass painting, having published "A Treatise on Painting on Glass" in 1860.

Vallot Auctioneers would like to thank the Corning Museum of Glass for their help researching this artwork.

Provenance: Gertrude Grace Sill (1920 - 2020) American art historian, curator, professor and author of "John Haberle Master of Illusion," among other art-historical publications.

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