Officers Playing Backgammon c. 18th century

Editor: This is Louis Michel Halbou's "Officers Playing Backgammon," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels so theatrical, like a scene from a play. What's your read on it? Curator: The quiet intensity of the game captivates me. The engraving becomes a mirror reflecting their concentration, doesn't it? Imagine the clatter of dice, the hushed breaths. Editor: It does make me wonder what's at stake! Curator: Perhaps more than just money. What do you suppose it reveals about 18th-century leisure and masculinity, this little slice of life captured by Halbou's hand? Editor: Something to ponder, definitely. I never thought backgammon could be so…revealing. Curator: Art often whispers its secrets in unexpected places.