Robert Rauschenberg’s Honorarium might be seen as an unorthodox representation of a distinctly American domestic interior, complete with photographic pictures, decorative elements (such as wallpaper), functional objects, and salvaged refuse. The work’s imagery suggests multiple inspirations, from fellow artist Andy Warhol (“Andy Boy” lettuce) to the human anatomy (the contorted pillow). The deliberateness with which the artist has deployed these familiar objects and images into his composition suggests that they hold metaphoric or symbolic meaning. However, critics and scholars have not arrived at a clear consensus for decoding the artist’s riddle-like works. This piece is one of Rauschenberg’s Spreads, a series of wood panels covered with diverse materials. Created from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s, the Spreads integrate found three-dimensional objects with elements of painting. The result is an energetic hybrid of sculpture and painting, and of popular culture and fine art.