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Roman Street Scene with Card Players

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Lit by a shaft of sunlight against dark shadows behind, the group of figures playing cards form a colourful distraction in a rather grey environment. We are witnessing a moment of triumph: the man in the red coat has just produced an ace while his opponent, in the blue jerkin, has the expression of a defeated man. These players categorise the painting as one of a group of bambocciate (scenes of everyday life) set in Rome. Like this one, many show small groups of tradesmen and use dramatic lighting contrasts and simplified architectural forms and landscapes.

Here, the monochromatic buildings behind the players are almost devoid of detail, but they form an intriguing arrangement of shapes and angles. It is the shapes and spaces, rather than the moment of triumph in the foreground, which create the mood of this slightly mysterious, perhaps even melancholy, painting.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Roman Street Scene with Card Players

Date

1645-50

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 43 x W 34.5 cm

Accession number

NG6640

Acquisition method

Presented by the Trustees of Sir Denis Mahon's Charitable Trust through the Art Fund, 2013

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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