Watercolor with pen and black ink over graphite on medium, slightly textured, cream laid paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 5 1/2 x 7 3/8 inches (14 x 18.7 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1975.4.915
Gallery Label:
Fashionable stereotypes were Rowlandson’s stock in trade. In Checkmate he pits a young urban dandy against an aging naval officer in a battle of wits over a game of chess. While the dandy sits in a foppish posture and wears an expression of serious thought, the naval officer—whose fondness for rum and food has taken its physical toll—adopts a confident, manly pose. The appeal of this drawing lies not only in its comic contrast of two stereotypes, but also in the frisson provided by the absence of any clear narrative. The viewer is left to imagine any number of possible scenarios around this tense encounter over a chessboard. Gallery label for Great British Watercolors from the Paul Mellon Collection at the Yale Center for British Art (Yale Center for British Art, 2008-06-09 - 2008-08-17)
