The Board Game Players
1629
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
The Board Game Players is a 1629 by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Statens Museum for Kunst.
This painting shows five men in a dimly lit room playing what looks like a board game. The men wear old-fashioned clothes—long coats, hats, and boots—with one sitting on a stool and the others standing or leaning over a table. The colors are mostly dark browns, yellows, and grays, with a few bright spots like the man’s red hat. A window in the background lets in a little light, and a pillar stands near the seated man. The artist paid close attention to the folds in the fabric and the shadows on the faces, making the scene feel real and alive. The way light and dark contrast gives the painting depth. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works.
