A Deception c. 1780

"A Deception" (c. 1780) by Samuel Lewis (1753-1822) is a watercolor on paper depicting a bulletin board filled with various ephemera, including playing cards, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes. The composition suggests a snapshot of 18th-century life, with the artist capturing the everyday clutter of the period. The use of red ribbons and black buttons on a dark background provides a sense of order within the chaos, and the meticulously rendered details hint at the artist's interest in the mundane.