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Cool Picture!!

Posted By: MK
Date: Friday, 7 March 2025, at 3:58 a.m.

In Response To: Cool Picture!! (Paul Weaver)

Thanks for all the interesting observations, Paul. It's always intrigueing to try guessing what the details in such paintings mean towards the messages and the stories they aim to convey.

This one from circa 1610 is only 10 years apart from the previous painting from circa 1620 that I had posted previously, (See: https://www.bgonline.org/forums/webbbs_config.pl?read=215257), and perhaps conveys a similar message while the scene and people depicted are very different.

I don't want to flood you guys with links to many Jan van Bijlert paintings with similar messages, (depicting brothel scenes, pimps, courtesans, procuresses, prostitutes, etc.), that don't show a backgammon board but those help interpret the "Dice Players" as depicting a prostitute (with busting busts ;) diverting the well-dressed customer (sporting a sombrero :), with perhaps the pimp looking on and the black boy carrying the man's sword.

In contrast, this painting seems to depict a sort of festivity with all well-dressed people, lots of food (very fun to guess what they all are, roasted duck was easy with the webbed feet still on), drinks and interestingly also a boy apparently trying to get into the man's money purse hanging from his belt.

Clearly it's not a bordello scene but the message written right on the painting seems to indicate that it's nevertheless a sinful scene.

English translation of the inscription in French is "The Game, the Woman, the Wine leave the Man poor while laughing" perhapps implying Gambling, Womanizing and Alcoholism as harmful to a man's "finances" and well-being but can also be ambiguous.

It's hard to understand what "while laughing" could mean. It probably means "not realizing at the present joyous moment, the later negative consequences of his actions". But what if he is okay with that? He may be the host of the party who paid for all that food and wine, enjoy spending money on women and the thrill of gambling even if he plays with 30 PR and loses money..?

One thing is sure though; backgammon never has and never will get the same respect as chess. Personally, I've never seen a painting showing chess being played in a bordello.

MK

Messages In This Thread

• If baffle busting them doesn't do it, get them drunk
  MK -- Sunday, 2 March 2025, at 11:43 a.m.
  • Cool Picture!!
    Paul Weaver -- Tuesday, 4 March 2025, at 5:54 a.m.
    • Cool Picture!!
      MK -- Friday, 7 March 2025, at 3:58 a.m.