Art Institute of Chicago

One Dollar Silver Certificate

Victor Dubreuil

Date

1898–1900

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

New York

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Having worked as a bank clerk in Paris, Victor Dubreuil moved to the United States in 1882, possibly to escape charges that he had stolen money from his employer. In New York he established himself as an artist, specializing in ultra-illusionistic depictions of currency: some elaborate in composition while others more restrained, such as One Dollar Silver Certificate . In the late 19th century, counterfeiting of legal tender was a widespread problem. Trompe l’oeil replications—albeit on canvas or board rather than paper—aroused suspicion among government officials. At least two of Dubreuil’s paintings on public view were confiscated by the Secret Service in the 1890s.

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