One Dollar Silver Certificate
Victor Dubreuil
1898–1900
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
22.9 × 30.5 cm (9 × 12 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
69541
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Having worked as a bank clerk in Paris, Victor Dubreuil moved to the United States in 1882, possibly to escape charges that he had stolen money from his employer. In New York he established himself as an artist, specializing in ultra-illusionistic depictions of currency: some elaborate in composition while others more restrained, such as One Dollar Silver Certificate. In the late 19th century, counterfeiting of legal tender was a widespread problem. Trompe l’oeil replications—albeit on canvas or...