Soldiers Playing Cards and Dice (The Cheats) by Valentin de Boulogne

Soldiers Playing Cards and Dice (The Cheats) details by Valentin de Boulogne

Valentin de Boulogne, Soldiers Playing Cards and Dice (The Cheats) (detail), c. 1620/1622, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Patrons' Permanent Fund 1998.104.1

Valentin’s figures are unflinchingly real: they wear the dirt, sweat, and desperation of Roman street life. His painting style—thin with rapid brushstrokes, subtly painted textures, and no underdrawing—adds to the sense of spontaneity.