Artwork
Card Game at "le Père Martin"
Card Game at "le Père Martin" is an unspecified painting by the Realist artist Adolphe-Félix Cals. It dates from 1859 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Adolphe‑Félix Cals painted Card Game at “le Père Martin” in 1859.
About this work
History & Provenance
The work was painted in 1859, as indicated by both the artist’s date and the internal record.
The work was painted in 1859, as indicated by both the artist’s date and the internal record.
By 1980 it belonged to the Cleveland Museum of Art, which accessioned it that year as 1980.241. The museum’s records list the painting’s dimensions as 49.7 cm by 60.7 cm and confirm French origin.
The painting is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, accessioned as 1980.241. It was acquired by the museum in 1980.
The work has been exhibited once in 1981 as part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s display titled “Impressionist and Barbizon Paintings from the Permanent Collection.”
Overview
Adolphe‑Félix Cals painted Card Game at “le Père Martin” in 1859. The oil on canvas is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as an example of mid‑nineteenth‑century genre painting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows two men seated at a small table, absorbed in a game of cards. One figure is dressed in a dark jacket and hat, the other in a lighter‑toned coat. A red‑cloth‑covered table and a lamp in the background create a confined, domestic setting, suggesting a quiet, private encounter between the participants.
Technique & Style
Cals employs a restrained palette of muted hues, allowing the figures and their gestures to dominate the scene. Subtle chiaroscuro, highlighted by the lamp’s warm glow, models the forms and gives depth to the interior space, while the careful rendering of fabrics and the red tablecloth adds a touch of color contrast.
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