Artwork
Jaque mate
Jaque mate is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Joaquín María Herrer y Rodríguez. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work features a collection of objects arranged on a table, including a book, a seat, and a crucifix.
Joaquín María Herrer y Rodríguez's 1887 oil painting, titled Jaque mate (Checkmate), presents a still-life composition rather than a literal depiction of a chess game in progress. The work features a collection of objects arranged on a table, including a book, a seat, and a crucifix. While the title suggests a theme of strategic defeat or finality associated with chess, the visible iconography centers on these specific domestic and religious items.
The inclusion of the crucifix alongside the book and furniture may imply a symbolic connection between spiritual contemplation and the concept of an ultimate end or checkmate, though the specific narrative link between the title and the depicted objects relies on this juxtaposition of secular and sacred elements within the interior setting.
Technique & Style
Jaque mate is an oil painting executed on canvas by Joaquín María Herrer y Rodríguez in 1887. The work measures 148 cm in height by 98 cm in width. The composition depicts a book, a table, a seat, and a crucifix, suggesting a tightly arranged interior scene rendered in oil paint. The piece is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
History & Provenance
Jaque mate was painted in 1887 by the Spanish artist Joaquín María Herrer y Rodríguez. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 148 cm in height and 98 cm in width. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it remains part of the institution's holdings.
No specific details regarding the original commission, early ownership history, or the circumstances of its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records.
The painting Jaque mate, created by Joaquín María Herrer y Rodríguez in 1887, is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work, executed in oil on canvas, measures 148 cm in height and 98 cm in width. While the sources confirm its current location and physical dimensions, they do not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Additionally, no exhibition history is recorded in the available documentation.
Overview
Jaque mate, executed in oil on canvas in 1894, is a work by Spanish painter Joaquín María Herrer y Rodríguez. The composition presents an intimate interior where two figures are engaged in a game of chess, surrounded by scholarly and religious objects. The painting is part of the permanent collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is displayed among other 19th‑century Spanish works.
Context
The work belongs to a broader tradition of interior genre paintings that depict scholarly environments, a motif popular among Spanish artists seeking to portray the cultural values of education and piety. The inclusion of a chess game aligns with contemporary symbolic uses of the game to represent strategic thought and moral decision‑making.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Joaquín María Herrer y Rodríguez
Joaquín María Herrer y Rodríguez (1840–1917) was an artist, born in Madrid.
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