Blad met schaakbordpatroon 1783 - 1815

This sheet with a chessboard pattern was made by Paul Reimund, sometime around the turn of the 19th century. But what purpose did it serve? It’s a question that can only be answered by understanding the cultural and institutional history of the period. In the late 1700s, chess was rising in popularity as a noble pursuit. As chess became more popular, so did the need for chessboards. This print may have been made as a guide to the art of creating one of these boards. It may have served as a prototype for other designs or been used to showcase the artist’s skills. Historians can study chess publications and other archival sources, such as personal letters and financial records, to investigate further. These resources might reveal how chess equipment was made, distributed, and sold. Ultimately, this print reminds us that all art is embedded in, and dependent on, a particular social context.