HOME --> Art with a chess theme
Paint a picture of chessplayers? Sounds boring, but some artists have found inspiration in the posture and expressions of chessplayers, as you will see. A few hundred years ago, including a chess game in a painting immediately identified the participants as aristocrats, the "smart set." In some pictures, chess is depicted as a jolly good entertainment, a way of passing the hours while the peasants toil in your fields.
Modern artists have moved away from the players themselves to visually depict the struggle and format of chess instead.
For the woman who has everything, I found some nice jewelry. I'll bet even Judit Polgar doesn't have anything so attractive.
Where known, I've given the artist's name beneath the thumbnail. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image and more information about the picture or artist. In some cases I cropped the image to make the thumbnail easier to see. The large image will show the complete picture.
I collected these images from eBay auctions. The quality isn't always what I would have liked, but I felt it was valuable to create a collection that showed the widespread influence of chess in our culture. To enhance this collection, I'd appreciate a copy of any similar JPG or GIF image you may have.
Click on the thumbnail images to see larger versions.
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| The trap is sprung. | F. Beda: The Chess Game |
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| From a Messonier | Adelaide and the Bishop of Bamberg | Albanian Chessplayers |
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| Satan Tries His Hand (board position is wrong) | Old Harper’s Print ("Miss Holroyd Gazed Strangely At The Board") | Artist: Domashenko |
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| Dresden porcelain | Artist: Vaserely |
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| Union Co. Daguerrotype Case | The Chessplayers |
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| Artist: Cremona (ca 1475-1480) | Endgame |
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| Postcard by Gruschev (?) |
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| Chess pins |