Formal Analysis: The Chess Game By Anguissola

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Formal Analysis: The Chess Game
Anguissola’s piece titled The Chess Game depicts the artists’ sisters, Lucia, Europa, and Minerva and someone generally considered to be a servant, in a mountainous, outdoor setting. The medium used for this painting is oil on canvas. This painting was completed in 1555 and was hung in her family home in Cremona. The painting displays the Italian Renaissance style, while portraying her sisters in the best humanistic tradition. In The Chess Game, Anguissola dispenses with stiff formal poses and instead illustrates three of her sisters, in a relaxed, informal game of chess, as well as bringing life to the genre of portraiture.

Descriptive Paragraphs
"The Chess Game" is an oil painting on canvas that displays her vast knowledge of art. She uses chiaroscuro, perspective, and depth perception. Her sisters look realistic and have …show more content…

She also uses the shadowing technique to make the figures look 3D, and to emphasize the foreground and background. She uses bright colors in the clothing and sunlight to brighten up the painting to make it known they are outside. She used a lot of detail in their clothing, and even on the table they are playing chess on. I also noticed on the side of the chess game, she engraved her name on the side, along with some other words I cant make out.
Conclusion
Anguissola successfully portrayed her three sisters in a naturalistic and humanistic manner by portraying them in stiff, formal poses, in a peaceful, outdoor setting. I was initially impressed with this painting due to the use of color, brightness, and depth perception. Her attention to detail is what really makes this painting stand out, making it appear realistic. "The Chess Game" is probably her most famous painting and signals a departure in portraiture. It is evident that she put a generous amount of effort in detailing the clothing, and background and side ground in this

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