Thursday, July 9, 2020

Life in Miniature

Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


For Art Thursday, chess. I've mentioned before that we have themes with our birthdays, even for adults. Most recently, we celebrated Matthew's birthday with a chess theme. (My favorite chess joke: "What did the Australian chessplayer say to the waiter?" "Check, mate!")

Alma, playing chess
by Jean-Léon Gérôme

Chess at a campfire
photo by Armando Olivo

The Game of Life
by Anthony W. Jones

The chair of Alfabia (The Chair of the Moor King), featuring Tristan und Isolde playing chess
photo by H. Zell

Heavenly Scene with the Gods of Olympus Surrounding a Chess Board, Poseidon and Pan Below

John Carwitham 1723–41

Micro Chess
by Anatoly Ivanovich Konenko

Mädchen mit Puppe (Girl with Doll)
Alexander Demetrius Goltz (1857-1944)

"The chessmen were walking about, two and two!"
illustration by Peter Newell for Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There"

1 comment:

HWY said...

Great theme and wonderful works depicting chess and the fact that it has been popular for a long time and throughout the world.

I particularly liked The Chair of the Moor King. Tristan and Isolde playing chess...would never have guessed! :-)