William Michael Harnett (American, 1848 to 1892)
William Harnett is considered one of the masters of Trompe L’Oeil painting. While he was most famous for his still lifes of musical instruments and wild game, Harnett was the first artist to focus solely on the painting of paper currency. His paintings of currency looked so authentic that in 1886 he was arrested for counterfeiting.
Information courtesy of New Orleans Auctions, March 2008.