Artwork
The Last Throw
The Last Throw is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist Charles Robert Leslie. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
People crowd around a table throwing dice, the mood tense, a few faces drawn with worry. Charles Robert Leslie, who specialized in scenes of everyday life, captured a common pastime of his day in this 1840 oil on canvas.
Subject & Meaning
The title implies a moment of finality or high stakes within the narrative, suggesting the throw represents a decisive turning point for the figures involved.
Charles Robert Leslie's 1840 oil painting, The Last Throw, functions as a genre scene centered on the act of gambling. The composition depicts a man and a woman engaged in a dice game, with the physical dice serving as the primary iconographic element. The title implies a moment of finality or high stakes within the narrative, suggesting the throw represents a decisive turning point for the figures involved.
While the specific identities of the characters are not detailed in the available records, their interaction around the game of chance defines the work's subject matter. The imagery relies on the universal symbolism of dice to convey themes of risk, fortune, and the tension inherent in games of chance, capturing a singular, dramatic instant between the two participants.
Technique & Style
Created in 1840, The Last Throw is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 47 centimeters in height and 96.5 centimeters in width. As a genre scene, the painting depicts figures of a man and a woman engaged in a gambling activity involving dice.
The medium and dimensions align with standard 19th-century easel painting practices, utilizing the durability of oil on canvas to capture the narrative moment. The composition focuses on the interaction between the human subjects and the gaming elements, characteristic of Charles Robert Leslie's approach to genre subjects during this period.
History & Provenance
Charles Robert Leslie executed the oil on canvas painting titled 'The Last Throw' in 1840. The work, which depicts a genre scene involving gambling with dice, measures 47 by 96.5 centimeters. While specific details regarding its original commission or intermediate ownership history are not provided in the available records, the painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically within its American Wing. The piece has been cataloged under this title since its inception in the mid-nineteenth century.
The painting titled The Last Throw by Charles Robert Leslie, executed in oil on canvas in 1840, is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection in New York. It is classified within the museum’s American Wing as a genre scene that depicts a man and woman gambling with dice. The work measures 47 cm in height by 96.5 cm in width and is recorded as an oil on canvas.
No accession number is listed in the sources, and their documentation does not mention any notable exhibition history beyond its presence in the museum’s permanent holdings.
Overview
Charles Robert Leslie's painting, The Last Throw, executed around 1840, is an oil on canvas that captures a moment of high tension within a genre scene. It depicts individuals engaged in a game of chance, specifically dice, gathered around a table. The work exemplifies Leslie's interest in portraying scenes from daily life, offering a glimpse into social activities of the period.
Context
Created in the mid-19th century, The Last Throw fits within the tradition of genre painting, which gained popularity for its focus on ordinary subjects rather than historical or mythological narratives. Charles Robert Leslie, although British-born, spent significant time in America and is recognized for his contributions to this style. The painting offers insight into the social customs and leisure activities prevalent during its creation.
Artist & collection
