← John Ingram

The Game of Chinese Chess (1741–63, Met-Objekt 6430)

Original title: The Game of Chinese Chess

Artist

John Ingram

Date

1741–63

Medium

Etching and Engraving

Dimensions

sheet: 15 1/2 x 10 7/8 in. (39.4 x 27.7 cm) plate: 9 5/8 x 6 7/16 in. (24.5 x 16.4 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966

kurzbeschreibung

John Ingram's print 'The Game of Chinese Chess', made between 1741 and 1763, presents a woman and a child playing a board game in a garden setting. Executed as an etching and engraving, it takes up a traditional Chinese motif.

Description

A woman in traditional Chinese dress sits on a chair, her attention fixed on the chess pieces on a table. Beside her stands a similarly dressed child, watching the game. A large, ornate vessel with a child seated on it appears behind them, beneath a palm tree. The layout feels symmetrical: figures in the foreground, the vessel behind. Even light prevails, with no strong shadows.

Context

John Ingram was a British artist active in the eighteenth century. His work belongs to a period when European artists increasingly took up East Asian motifs, often within the framework of chinoiserie. Scenes from China were highly popular in Europe, even though the artists had usually never been there and relied on travel accounts or other artworks.

Impact

Fine lines and the symmetrical arrangement give the print a calm, harmonious air. The game feels intimate and conveys a sense of idyllic sociability.

Technique

The combination of etching and engraving allows fine and precise lines. This method permits a detailed rendering of textures and patterns, as seen in the clothing and surroundings.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)