Cardsharps Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610)

Description of Caravaggio’s painting "Cheaters

A master of realistic Baroque paintings, Caravaggio narrates life around him in his masterpieces without a hint of reproach. In one of his 1596 canvases, titled Cheaters, the Italian painter shows a scene of petty card cheating. Such actions were commonplace for society at the time, an obvious amusement.

The composition of the image is built according to classical canons. Three male figures are located in an imaginary triangle. Such a technique facilitates perception and makes the picture very balanced.

On the right side of the table we see a young boy calmly looking at his cards. The handsome young man’s face is bright and somewhat naive. The other two participants in the old-time poker game are accomplices.

A man of mature years is behind the boy who is gazing at the deck. He reads the suits with a tenacious eye and shows the secret signs on his fingers to the younger player. His gloves show scraps of cloth cut off to make it easier to feel the cards.

The second cheater prepares to pull the prepared cards from a slit in his clothes. He deliberately misleads his fellow poker player with a silly, distracted look. So you want to know how the game played out next. Was the deception successful? Was not upset trusting boy?

The artist paid a lot of attention to the elaboration of costumes. The deceivers are dressed in motley, striped clothes, which makes them look like jesters. On their hats are puffed bird feathers.

The background is neutral and beige. He has a large sunlit area clearly visible on the background. In general, the canvas "The Cheater" has a lot of light and few dark areas. By abandoning dramatization, Caravaggio writes a hymn to the merry feast and game. But we, the viewer, are nevertheless saddened by the deception: he urges us to be more circumspect in life.