Artwork
Lights of Other Days
Lights of Other Days is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist John F. Peto. It dates from 1906 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. John F.
About this work
Overview
John F. Peto’s oil painting *Lights of Other Days* presents a modest still‑life arranged on a shallow shelf that crowns a doorway. The composition gathers a handful of worn objects—nearly spent candles in brass holders, tarnished oil lamps, and frayed volumes—each rendered with a muted palette that suggests age and use.
Subject & Meaning
The selected items function as visual reminders of bygone domestic routines. By placing everyday implements that have outlived their practical purpose together, Peto evokes a quiet nostalgia for earlier ways of living, inviting viewers to contemplate the passage of time and the fading of personal memories.
Technique & Style
Peto employs a restrained trompe‑l’œil approach, using soft edges and subtle glazing to suggest three‑dimensionality without the hyper‑realistic sharpness of contemporaries such as William Harnett. The brushwork remains visible, allowing the hand of the artist to emerge through the illusion, and the layered glazes give the surfaces a gentle depth and a slightly weathered appearance.
History & Provenance
Trained in Philadelphia, Peto withdrew from public exhibition around 1890, thereafter producing works for private patrons near his New Jersey residence. *Lights of Other Days* reflects this later period of his career, when he focused on intimate, commission‑based still‑lifes rather than gallery showings.
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Artist & collection
Artist
John Frederick Peto (May 21, 1854 – November 23, 1907) was an American trompe-l'œil ("fool the eye") painter who was long forgotten until his paintings were rediscovered along with those of fellow trompe-l'œil artist William Harnett.
