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William Michael Harnett (1848-1892) was an
Ireland|Irish-United States|American painter who
helped pioneer a  trompe l'oeil (literally, "fool
the eye") style of realistic painting.  He painted
still lifes of common household objects arranged
in such a way that the painting was to be mistaken
for the objects themselves.  These objects
included musical instruments, firearms, and even
paper currency, similar to contemporary John
Haberle and successor Otis Kaye.

Overall, Harnett's work is most comparable to that
of John F. Peto.  An interesting comparison can be
made between two paintings featuring violins. 
Harnett's, from 1886, shows the violin upright and
in brand-new condition with a new piece of sheet
music behind it.  The elements are arranged in a
stable, deliberate manner.  Peto's 1890 painting
shows the violin askew, as well as chipped and
worn.  The sheet music is dog-eared and torn
around the edges, and placed haphazardly behind
the instrument.  Harnett's works indeed tended to
emphasise an almost mechanical perfection, while
Peto's were more reflective of human interaction.