Quarrel Over A Board Game Essay

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Gaspare Traversi created his oil on canvas painting, Quarrel over a Board Game, in 1752. As the title states, the painting’s focus is on two gentlemen quarreling over a game of what appears to be checkers. This painting is currently being exhibited at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT. The painting is not large. It is 4 by 5 ft. in a gold patterned frame. The painting is placed on a wall in a brightly lighted room at a viewer’s eye level. Many aspects of Traversi’s Quarrel over a Board Game are in motion. For example, the figures’ faces are displaying looks of either fear, anger or distress about what is happening. The man on the left, who is involved in the quarrel, is wearing a blue waistcoat and a beautiful floral patterned shirt. In his hand, he holds a sword, which appears to be pulled from his hand opposed to being taken out of a sheath. Also, he appears to be the victim of the quarrel because his face is scrunched, and he looks scared. Also, he is the center point of the scene for the reason that all the figures’ eyes are focused on This is similar to Manet Dejeuner painting Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe because his painting also does not differentiate the figures in the front from the back to illustrate distance. Also, in the background, there are several figures who are in distress from the violence that is occurring. What appears to be a female housemaid is yelling at the men to calm down before they cause any violence. Also, what appears to be a small child is frightened by the sudden violence and is holding on to the maid for comfort. In the left corner, there is a man who is restraining another man who seems to be fleeing from the scene. However, a man comes running from the right side of the painting from out of a door and he is prepared to stop the fleeing man from

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