American

Aaron Bohrod

U.S. 1907-1997
Little Big Horn 75.0012

---

Aaron Bohrod's work revisits the American tradition of trompe l'oeil (fool the eye) still-life painting, whose nineteenth century progenitors include William Michael Harnett, John Frederick Peto, and John Haberle. These artists discovered that the element of visual deception was effective in direct ratio to flatness-the greater the depth, the less convincing the illusion. Hence, the boards are identical to the picture's background and everything else is depicted as existing in front of it. Little Big Horn is similar to Harnett's and Peto's paintings, in that it includes several anecdotal and narrative elements. George Armstrong Custer's photograph is surrounded by objects relating to his years as a cavalry officer and his expeditions against the Cheyenne and Sioux. Even the artist's signature is represented as a slip of paper affixed to a "knot" in the lower right corner of the painting. A Chicago artist, Bohrod studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students' League. Strongly influenced by John Sloan, Bohrod became a prolific painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, illustrator and author.

 

BACK TO COLLECTION