# The Irish Question

- By: De Scott Evans (American, 1847–1898)
- Date: 1880s
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: 30.5 × 25.4 cm (12 × 10 in.)
- Culture: United States
- Credit line: Purchased with funds provided by Carol W. Wardlaw and Jill Burnside Zeno; Roger and J. Peter McCormick Endowment Fund
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/181777)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/6754947f-4ccf-b3ff-41ee-45b738534769/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

A seemingly uncomplicated representation of two potatoes suspended by a string against a wood panel, The Irish Question is an unusual and striking trompe l’oeil painting that raises numerous questions. The title may refer to the troubled status of the Irish in the late 19th century; the hanging potatoes inflect this allusion with either ominous overtones or a dark sense of humor. Illusionistic paintings such as The Irish Question offer an enjoyable form of visual deception, and the pseudonymous signature “S.S. David” suggests that De Scott Evans relished the opportunity to puzzle his viewers on many levels.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0