Chess in Art: From Medieval Ivories to Duchamp's Obsession

A DailyArt Magazine survey traces chess's representation in Western art from the 12th-century Lewis Chessmen to 20th-century works. The Lewis Chessmen, 93 pieces carved from walrus ivory in Trondheim, Norway, were discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis; 82 are at the British Museum, 11 at the National Museum of Scotland, and one was found in 2019. Lucas van Leyden painted 'The Game of Chess' at age 14 in 1508. Sofonisba Anguissola's 1555 'The Chess Game' depicts her sisters Lucia, Europa, and Minerva. Ludovico Carracci's 'Chess Players' (c. 1590) shows men absorbed in play. Gustaf Lundberg's 1775 portrait of Gustav Badin, an African-born servant raised in the Swedish royal court, shows him inviting a chess challenge. Honoré Daumier's 'The Chess Players' (1863–1867) presents a quiet scene. Marcel Duchamp, a lifelong chess enthusiast, included chess in many works; his 1911 'Portrait of Chess Players' is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 1944 he organized 'The Imagery of Chess' at Julien Levy Gallery, where George Koltanowski played blindfolded against seven opponents. Paul Klee's 'Super Chess' (1937) may comment on totalitarianism; that year 17 of his works were in a 'Degenerate art' exhibition and 102 were seized by Nazis.