Checker Players

Thomas Anshutz, Checker Players, ca. 1895, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June, 1967.136.4
Thomas Anshutz, Checker Players, ca. 1895, oil on canvas, 16 1⁄8 x 20 1⁄8 in. (40.8 x 51.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June, 1967.136.4
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Artwork Details

Title
Checker Players
Artist
Date
ca. 1895
Location
Dimensions
16 1⁄8 x 20 1⁄8 in. (40.8 x 51.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Orrin Wickersham June
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Children
  • Recreation — sport and play — checkers
Object Number
1967.136.4
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1967.136.4

Artwork Description

Two boys sit engrossed in a game of checkers, each focusing intently on his next move. The dark, featureless interior draws our attention to the players' rigid poses. The lack of movement, somber tones, and carefully balanced composition create a serious image around a familiar game, something that is usually viewed as carefree and fun.

Works by this artist (5 items)

View all artworks
Thomas Anshutz, Checker Players, ca. 1895, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June, 1967.136.4
Checker Players
Artist
Dateca. 1895
oil on canvas
On view
Thomas Anshutz, Plaster Cast, ca. 1895, charcoal on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1980.2.1
Plaster Cast
Artist
Dateca. 1895
charcoal on paper
Not on view
Thomas Anshutz, Boys with a Boat, Ohio River, near Wheeling, West Virginia, 1880, cyanotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1994.91.3
Boys with a Boat, Ohio River, near Wheeling, West Virginia
Artist
Date1880
cyanotype
Not on view
Thomas Anshutz, Sand Burr, ca. 1894, watercolor and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Ann and Tom Barwick Family Collection, 2007.46
Sand Burr
Artist
Dateca. 1894
watercolor and pencil on paper
Not on view

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