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Saturday 16 July 2011

Players - Sepia Saturday

I could not find suitable photos amongst my collection this week so had to seach the web. I came up with groups of players but none with beer or cards. I settled for chess instead.

Egyptian Chess Players 1879
This painting is by Lawrence Alma-Tadmena (1831-1912), a Dutch-British painter, draughtsman, etcher and illustrator.

My second group is more modern and shows The Chess Players, a bronze sculpture by Lloyd Lillie in John Marshall Park in the Judiciary Square neighbourhood of Washington DC. The E Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse is in the background.

The Chess Players - by AgnosticPreachersKid 14/04/2010
( Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 unported license)

My next group are alive and engrossed in their game.

Chess players in a park, Kiev - by Robert Broadie 02/07/2006
( Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 unported license)

Perhaps you prefer dice to chess. This fresco from Pompeii shows Roman dice players.
Dice Players
Roman fresco from the Osteria dell Via di Mercurio (VI 10,1.19, room b) in Pompeii
(Source: Filippo Coarelli (ed): Pompeji. Hirmer, Munchen 2002 ISBN 3-7774-9530-1 p146)

When I saw this fresco it reminded me of something much closer to home. I know this exists as I have seen it.
The Dice Players - George de la Tour (early 1650s, oil on canvas) 
This picture is on display at the Preston Hall Museum, Stockton-on-Tees less than ten miles from my home in  North East England.

For more interpretations of the sepia theme visit Alan Burnett's sepia saturday 83

10 comments:

Tattered and Lost said...

And these days will come to show overweight children in front of game consoles playing games by themselves only connected to others via the net. So sad to think of it.

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

I was going to say how much I loved the bronze sculpture of the chess players, and I still do, but then I came to the last picture ... Amazing! It looks so modern! I'd love to see that for myself.

Little Nell said...

What a wonderfully eclectic mix! I struggled too this week. I like the George de la Tour very much; the lighting is almost modern (I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like).

Unknown said...

I especially like the bronze sculptures! This reminds me I have not enjoyed a game of chess for many many years. Don't know anyone who plays. Is it out of style? Interesting photos...

Alan Burnett said...

How interesting : that last painting has almost a modern feel about it : if I screw up my eyes I could just about imagine Picasso having painted it in his cubist period.

Howard said...

The De La Tour looks very modern but with a contemporary chiaroscuro effect. Will definitely have to check him out.

Christine H. said...

very interesting. What a great assortment. There is something very magical about seeing an ancient fresco of dice players.

Bruno Laliberté said...

a funny twist on an original idea. i love de la Tour's work, so modern, so fresh.
:)~
since you've already seen my post, you know i didn't struggle to find something, merely to stop before it drove me nuts...
:D~
HUGZ

Nancy said...

I didn't realize chess was such an old game as to have been played in Egypt. And Alan is right, the de la Tour looks very modern. Thanks for sharing.

tony said...

You Never See People Playing Board Games in England (not any waterproof ones?) Although,saying that, I did take a photo several years ago, of people playing a giant chessboard in Huddersfield.I must go and find it!!