Chess-Players
1891
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 13.5 × 9.6 cm (5 3/8 × 3 13/16 in.); Plate: 13.9 × 10 cm (5 1/2 × 3 15/16 in.); Sheet: 35.5 × 25.5 cm (14 × 10 1/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
41624
Art Historical Context
In 1891, Swedish artist Anders Zorn created *Chess-Players*, a captivating etching that exemplifies his mastery of printmaking during the late 19th century. Known for his realistic portrayals of everyday life, portraits, and nudes, Zorn drew inspiration from the Swedish countryside and urban scenes, blending Impressionist light effects with precise realism. This intimate scene likely depicts two figures engrossed in a chess match, highlighting the quiet drama of concentration and leisure—a common motif in European art of the era, evoking the intellectual pursuits of the bourgeoisie. Printed o...
About the Artist
Anders Zorn · 1860–1920
Anders Zorn (1860–1920), one of Sweden's most celebrated artists, was born on February 18 in Utmeland near Mora in Dalarna, and raised on his maternal grandparents' farm in the nearby hamlet of Yvraden. Displaying prodigious talent from a young age, he attended school in Mora Strand until age twelve, followed by secondary grammar school in Enköping, where he excelled in drawing people and horses. ...