The Chess Players 1911

Moriz Jung created this print of chess players in a Viennese cafe, a scene bustling with intense concentration and subtle humor. Imagine Jung, bent over his printing blocks, carefully carving the lines that would define these characters. The guy on the left, hunched over, chin in hand, staring intently at the board, feels like the archetypal thoughtful player. And the one on the right is slumped over, head in hand as though he has been totally defeated! The palette is muted, a mix of greys and browns, with flashes of red in the socks—a touch of bohemian flair in this cerebral space. The spectators in the background create a layering effect that adds depth and dynamism to the composition. They are like a Greek chorus, observing and commenting on the drama unfolding on the chessboard. Each figure is rendered with a few deft lines, capturing their unique personalities and adding to the narrative richness of the scene. The work feels like a precursor to artists like Philip Guston and Nicole Eisenmann, with its caricature-like figures and everyday subject matter.