Arcadópolis
The Cardsharps
Caravaggio, c. 1594
What you see
Three figures gather around a rug-covered table. On the left, a young man in dark velvet studies his cards, unaware of anything else. Behind him, an older man in a feathered hat leans over his shoulder and raises a gloved hand. On the right, another youth in a yellow doublet with black stripes reaches behind him, where two cards are tucked into his belt.
Light enters from the right and makes the fabrics and the pink plumes of the hat gleam. Notice the older man’s torn glove, with one fingertip poking through, the wooden game board at lower left, and the dagger at the belt of the youth on the right.
About Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi, called Caravaggio after his family’s home town, painted scenes as if they were happening on a dark stage lit by a spotlight. He used ordinary people from the street as models, which was very daring at the time. His use of light and shadow inspired painters all over Europe.
More by Caravaggio
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