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活動花絮
【Humanities Series】
🖌️ In this painting, there are three people gambling and a waitress pouring wine. Everyone is silent, but their eyes and gestures tell the whole story. The woman in the middle gives the cardsharp a sidelong glance, and her right-hand signals to him, implying which card to play. The waitress, pretending to deliver a drink, also hints at the cardsharp with her eyes. The man on the right, hiding an ace of diamonds behind his back, is clearly the cardsharp. His face, covered in dim light, leans his card toward the viewers, inviting them into the deceit. The young man in luxurious attire is entirely focused on his cards. So far, he has won a lot, completely unaware of the other three people's artifice. 🦹
Remember the painting– “The Cardsharps” we discussed last time? These two works have similar compositions, but this painting contains more details. Compared with The Cardsharps, the young man in this painting looks more naive, and kinder, but also a little ignorant. His silk clothes, decorated with intricate patterns, and his hat with a large colorful feather, indicate he is wealthier and an easy target for the experienced cheaters. Among the three cheaters, the woman in the middle stands out more than the cardsharp hiding his card. Her expression reveals cunning and disdain, similar to a soap opera villainess. Another detail is the cards in the woman’s left hand, which have plain white backs, making it easier for the cheater to mark them. An inexperienced person could easily lose all their money here, let alone to win money.💸💸
🧑🎨 This painting, The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds by Georges de La Tour, a French Baroque artist, showcases his talent for using dazzling colors and detailed clothing. Unlike the chaotic and messy scenes typically associated with gambling, this scene is clean and orderly. However, the deceitful hearts of the cheaters and the young man's obliviousness remind us that danger often strikes when we feel comfortable or complacent. Once we realize it, it's often too late. This is what truly terrifies us.
This painting reminds me of my unfinished work. Hey! I don’t want to be a boiling frog! 😿Let's discard everything that tempts us to procrastinate and remind ourselves to be pragmatic and cautious.😼By the way, this painting has a companion painting The Cheat with the Ace of Clubs. If you're interested, you should check it out!👍 See you next time!
References:
《膽小別看畫：藝術很殘酷——解謎西洋名畫中的恐怖心機與人性弱點。那些藝術史上不說，你不知道的繪畫黑歷史》, 作者: 中野京子, p. 10-22。
Picture resource (public domain): https://www.nbfox.com/about/ (Painter: Georges de La Tour)
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