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Two Men playing Tric-trac, with a Woman scoring

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Two men concentrate on a game of tric-trac, a form of backgammon, while a woman chalks the score on the side of the board. Meanwhile one man sits smoking, lost in his thoughts, while another lights a pipe from a bowl of embers. None of them is speaking and nor do they look at one another; all the interaction happens on the board.

Willem Duyster’s quiet scene does not have an obvious narrative but it is a satisfying composition. He paints four of the figures in profile but each is distinctive, and he enlivens what could be a static gathering by arranging the central figures in a circle and leading the eye around them. He not only skilfully depicts the way light falls on silks but also dresses his figures in subtle tones that do not break the atmosphere of gentle conviviality and reverie.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Two Men playing Tric-trac, with a Woman scoring

Date

about 1625-30

Medium

Oil on oak

Measurements

H 41 x W 67.6 cm

Accession number

NG1387

Acquisition method

Bought, 1893

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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