Has the painting on Harvey’s office wall been on ‘Suits’ the entire time?
The pinnacle moment of Wednesday’s (July 20) “Suits” episode, titled “Accounts Payable,” was when Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) reluctantly gave up a piece of artwork hanging in his office to save the firm from going completely broke. Harvey was visibly torn to part with this painting, and soon after, Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) explained its value to the viewers by expressing condolences towards Harvey on giving the painting up, describing this piece of artwork as the one happy memory Harvey had of his mother.
We learned about Harvey’s tumultuous relationship with his mother during his therapy sessions in Season 5, but her connection to this painting hanging in his office has never been discussed. And has this painting been hanging there this entire time?
The answer is yes. Upon looking up set photos from Season 1, this canvas oil painting of a China doll and an alligator has been quietly hanging in Harvey’s office since 2011. How this curiously out-of-place picture has gone unnoticed amidst his bro-tastic high end decorations is a tough question to answer, but if this is the first time some viewers noticed it, they are definitely not alone.
Among his minimalist office interior, this wondrous paining should have stuck out like a sore thumb among Harvey’s extensive record collection, fancy wet bar and signed sports memorabilia lined up against his floor-to-ceiling windows. But after the latest episode, it’s safe to assume the show’s writers placed it there six seasons ago for a reason.
The painting itself was made by artist Heather Millar in 2009. Macht actually discussed the oil painting, titled “Listen Closely,” hanging in his character’s office with Entertainment Weekly back in 2011, right after USA announced that “Suits” was getting renewed for a second season. “His artwork was chosen to show that he has a whimsical side with a truly wicked sense of humor,” Macht said at the time.
But there was never been any mention of the painting’s emotional connection to Harvey until now. Maybe the writers hadn’t informed Macht of the upcoming storyline. Or it’s possible executive producer Aaron Korsh never thought the series would stay on the air that long for this particular story to be told.
The episode ended with Harvey flipping through an old family photo album, so whatever story is behind this painting is about to be revealed. However, if viewers are wondering if this means that we’ll also get the back story on the infamous can opener? Korsh has told Zap2it that he’s taking that inside joke to the grave.
But if you are looking to own a print of Millar’s painting for your office, the artist sells them at Esty.com for $118.58.
“Suits” airs on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on USA.