abbé

He instructed Harnett to select from among Abbe’s own possessions for the still life, and Harnett chose objects that reveal the comfortable, cultured aspects of his client’s life.

Another dimension of Abbe, scholars say, is encoded in a light-brown leather account book.

At first glance, Abbe’s pile looks a bit precarious; in real life, would those books remain in place?

Abbe hung “Ease” in a room off his office at the Holyoke Envelope Co. factory, and in January 1888 the plant was destroyed by fire.

“Ease” survived, but Abbe soon sold the work to railroad baron Collis Potter Huntington to help relieve his financial difficulties.