John Rogers, Checkers up at the Farm, patented 1875, painted plaster, 20 3⁄8 x 17 1⁄2 x 12 5⁄8 in. (51.9 x 44.6 x 32.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Rogers and Son, 1882.1.8
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Checkers up at the Farm
- Artist
- Date
- patented 1875
- Location
- Dimensions
- 20 3⁄8 x 17 1⁄2 x 12 5⁄8 in. (51.9 x 44.6 x 32.2 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of John Rogers and Son
- Mediums Description
- painted plaster
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Occupation — farm — farmer
- Recreation — sport and play — checkers
- Figure group — family
- Figure group
- Object Number
- 1882.1.8
Artwork Description
John Rogers created several groups that depicted people playing checkers. The first of these, Checker Players, was modeled in 1859 and received so much publicity that Rogers decided to devote all of his time to sculpting. Checkers up at the Farm was completed some fifteen years later and was Rogers’s second most popular piece, with a total sale of five thousand copies. The artist’s wife, Hattie, was the model for the farmer’s wife who watches the final moments of the game.
