Poor Artist’s Cupboard
c. 1815
Step into the cluttered, melancholy cupboard of a struggling creator in early 19th-century America, where a 'Sheriff's Sale' notice pinned to the wall announces the auction of an artist's meager belongings. Charles Bird King fills the shelves with ironic treasures: books titled 'Advantages of Poverty' and 'Pleasures of Hope' sit beside a humble loaf of bread and a glass of water, while rolled-up canvases and a large conch shell hint at unfulfilled ambitions. This satirical still life serves as a biting commentary on the 'starving artist' trope, suggesting that in 1815, the only thing an artist had in abundance was debt and empty promises.
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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