John Frederick Peto (1854–1907) was an American painter born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later residing in Island Heights, New Jersey. He specialized in trompe-l'œil, an illusionistic painting technique designed to deceive the viewer's eye. His work, executed in a realist style, was largely overlooked for a period, often rediscovered in conjunction with that of his contemporary, William Harnett.
Peto's artistic practice focused on still life compositions, meticulously rendered to create a convincing sense of three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional surface. He is identified with the American trompe-l'œil movement, a genre he shared with artists such as William Harnett and John Haberle. Although they knew each other and depicted similar subjects, their careers developed along distinct paths.
Peto's contributions to American art were re-evaluated in the 1950s, notably through the scholarship of Alfred Frankenstein. This renewed interest positioned him, alongside Harnett, as a significant figure within the late 19th-century Philadelphia School.
