Game of Backgammon

David Teniers painted ‘Game of Backgammon’ in the 1640s. The medium is oil on wood, later transferred to canvas. The painting depicts a lively scene of peasants engaged in a game. It is held in the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The painting measures 36 by 49.5 centimeters. It captures an everyday scene typical of Teniers’ work. The figures are animated, suggesting a narrative within the game.

The Cleveland Museum of Art acquired this painting in 1943. How it was transferred from wood to canvas remains undocumented in the museum’s records.

David Teniers was a Flemish painter known for genre scenes. In addition to painting, he served as court painter for Archduke Leopold Wilhelm.

Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio https://clevelandart.org/art/1943.377