John Haberle American, 1856-1933

John Haberle was an American painter best known for his trompe-l’œil still lifes that meticulously depict everyday objects including currency, newspapers, books, envelopes, and ephemera with astonishing illusionistic precision. Active in the late 19th century, Haberle is regarded as one of the most accomplished practitioners of illusionistic painting in American art.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Haberle initially trained as an engraver, a background that profoundly shaped his approach to painting. The discipline of engraving informed his exceptional attention to surface detail, texture, and flatness qualities that became central to his painted illusions. He later studied at the National Academy of Design in New York, where he refined his painterly technique while maintaining an independent artistic voice.

Haberle rose to prominence during the 1880s and 1890s, a period when trompe-l’œil painting enjoyed widespread popularity in the United States. His still lifes often feature tightly arranged compositions of paper objects seemingly pinned or tacked to flat surfaces. Unlike many illusionistic painters of the period, Haberle frequently incorporated contemporary imagery such as U.S. currency, postage stamps, and printed media, subtly engaging with themes of value, authenticity, and perception.

His depictions of money were so convincing that they attracted the attention of the U.S. Treasury Department, which reportedly investigated whether his paintings violated counterfeiting laws. Although no charges were brought, the episode underscores the extraordinary realism of Haberle’s work and its conceptual proximity to real-world systems of trust and representation.

Haberle exhibited widely during his lifetime and achieved considerable commercial success. His works are held in leading museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Wadsworth Atheneum.