Les joueurs de jacquet backgammon 

Curator: Jean Béraud, a French painter known for depicting Parisian life, is thought to be the artist behind "Les joueurs de jacquet (backgammon)". Editor: Backgammon and ennui. I swear, you can practically smell the stale smoke and hear the clinking of glasses. There's such a moody atmosphere here. It almost feels like a stage set for a tragic love scene. Curator: Absolutely, and I find it compelling to see how Béraud captures this snapshot of bourgeois leisure. Notice the social dynamics at play—the two men absorbed in the game, seemingly indifferent to the woman. One must wonder if we should see her boredom and disillusionment as emblematic of wider anxieties surrounding women's limited roles in turn-of-the-century French society? Editor: Or maybe her phone died and she can’t check TikTok! Kidding aside, I agree. There's a tension radiating from her. It's not just boredom, but almost resentment? Though I'm drawn to the composition too. It's almost claustrophobic. Curator: Yes! The backdrop confines them. And let’s think about the painting’s social context too, where spaces of leisure, even ones appearing frivolous, were still steeped in gendered power dynamics and class distinctions. The way Béraud deploys techniques from Impressionism and Realism feels incisive in its analysis of the everyday, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely. The brushwork in the details, like her hat and that bright blue bottle, against the more subdued tones...It brings the eye right back to her. She might be trapped, but the painting insists that we really see her. So much implied, not explicit, and beautifully painted. Curator: Béraud gives us a rich visual text to unpack, thinking through these intersections of class, gender and the spaces we inhabit and their relationship with broader socio-political currents. It feels rewarding. Editor: Me too, I came in thinking backgammon was just backgammon, but now…I’m ready to write a whole tragic screenplay starring this very fabulous, very bored, woman.