National Gallery of Art: Art for the 
Nation    
Valentin 
de Boulogne navigation barThe PaintingThe StoryLife and Times   Previous page Next page
Soldier Playing Cards and Dice (The Cheats) by Valentin de Boulogne Soldier Playing Cards and Dice (The Cheats) by Valentin de Boulogne  
         

The Cardsharks by Caravaggio 
(Michelangelo da Merisi)
Caravaggio (Michelangelo da Merisi), The Cardsharks, c.1594, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth

 

 

The Painting

First translated into paint by the Italian master Caravaggio, images of cardsharks and cheats became immensely popular in the early seventeenth century. The narrative itself held dramatic appeal, but these paintings also carried various meanings and associations for a seventeenth-century audience.



Previous pageNext page

 

 
 



help | search | site map | contact us | privacy | terms of use | press | home