Chess Themes: Paintings, prints, sketches...

[knight_knight_zzz]

The purpose of this thread/topic is to have one place where collectors of chess sets and related items can find information and discussion about paintings, prints, sketches, and the like - where chess is the main (or even a side) theme. In searching this ebay group's threads, with use of words such as "paintings", there are already a number of postings in several threads. However, I think it would be nice to have one place where any interested parties could find a main place with a focused effort. My interest in starting this particular thread was prompted by my search today, on the Internet, in an attempt to assist the initial questioner in the relatively new thread, "Re: Adult Leisure Products Corporation (ALPSCO)". So, in searching the Web, under a shot-in-the-dark use of the words "Chess Metropolitan Museum of Art (in NYC), I came up with (not anything related to the chess sets that the initial questioner was seeking, but rather,) this painting. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/81.14 I think that what particularly attracts me to this painting is the use of light and dark, the detail, and the aura that is created. I love it! And do I see a staunton set in that painting? The time of the actual painting seems right, right? I have seen many paintings and prints with chess related themes. The following link (which I believe was first actually placed within a thread - as a link - somewhere by Alan Fersht) is one of the best websites around on the topic. (But of course, not to be competitive or anything... I was the very first ... (and not fersht... just teasing, Alan!) one to mention the specific website in an even earlier posting (somewhere, which I now cannot find!) However, even if the specific reference by me could be found, it was not an actual link... and so folks may have missed it. Either that, or folks missed it because I had too many words in my posting... ah, the Good Ole Days... well, some things change and some things don't! ;-) http://www.jmrw.com/Chess/Tableau_echecs/index.htm I myself have a number of prints and etchings. Maybe one day in the not-so-distant future, I could post one or two or three in this thread, which I think are especially unique. Whaddya think? John, April 30th, 2010, Springtime in Vermont (about 40 miles northwest of here, "as the crow files", we received slightly over 2 feet of snow about 3 days ago!)

[chesspurr]

John It is most curious that some threads get almost ignored. To the novice viewer the group sends out odd signals. 1. Good Ebay buys poor interest. 2. chess art Zero interest . 3. Poetry great interest. 4. Nonsense great interest. 5. Bonhams Sale close to Zero interest . This is a brief survey, based upon the assumption that no posting means no interest. Please offer us your material, as to myself chess pieces, paintings, drawings are Art , and I for one am very interested. Gettem up here before the "Summer " . ]:)

[knight_knight_zzz]

Guy, A little belated response from me here... this week has been exceptionally busy with work (trying to play some catch-up)... as well as some (adaptive) house and yard tasks... and even still trying to regain my mental and physical strength in the recovery process. Well, thank you for the interesting observations, including your apparent interest in this thread. Summer officially begins on June 22nd (or is it the 21st?) So, that gives me a little wiggle room to post a couple of pictures of very interesting (I promise about the "interesting" aspect of them!)... a print (I suspect never seen before by any viewers!) and a charcoal original - between now and then. Regardless, about the lack of response on this particular thread from viewers... I guess that's life, and "to each his own...". Well, At least I did some trying... BTW, I do see some "quality" (and I will add an adjective or two... as "very good" and "relatively interesting") discussion on another thread or two. Good work from you, (Guy), and Alan, and a few others! :-) John.

[knight_knight_zzz]

160409300938. (No, not a piece from my collection, but a relatively interesting chess-related item nonetheless.) Maybe an item for discussion for a number of reasons and on a number of levels? Only about 4 hours to go, as of this moment, on this auction. J.

[knight_knight_zzz]

For "sharing" and/or discussion purposes: A Sketch (charcoal, I believe) from my somewhat eclectic chess collection. Some preliminary info: Obtained at a Flea Market in New England, approx 2005. Two chess players engaged in a (surprise!) game of chess. Location: Washington Square Park, I believe (in the Greenwich Village vicinity, NYC). John.

[chesspurr]

John, That sketch looks interesting, and raises a few questions for the curious. Could that be a Staunton pattern set? Are we talking winter time as those " Coats " look as if the players need them . No clock so one might suppose its not quick play chess games these gentlemen were playing. You seem to have one heck of an interesting collection of sets, and other Chess goodies. Have you any idea of which decade those players were supposed to be playing in that Park ?

[knight_knight_zzz]

Guy and all. I will check and try to answer your questions. I'll even look to see if the artist's signature is discernable. In addition, it was, as I recall, supposedly a "person of interest" who had initially owned the sketch before it was in an estate(?) sale. I'll check back in later today, Sunday; it's supposed to rain here all day, so there'll be little in the way of outdoor or indoor house-related tasks to occupy my time or divert my attention. John.

[knight_knight_zzz]

Ok. Here goes what I have come up with: The sketch is from the "Estate of Albert T. Warsaw". (This had been stamped onto the back of this piece of artwork.) Also, on the left arm upper sleeve of the chess player facing us (the elderly? gentleman with the glasses, the beret, and the light-colored coat and the beret), there appears to be an "A Warsaw". However, there is so much scribble / use of charcoal pencil in this picture, that I am unsure. It is possible that I am reading too much into what I think I see... that is, my hope or brain is seeing something that really isn't there. On the other hand, there appears to be a little substantiation that Albert Warsaw was indeed an artist - at least a novice one. A search on the Internet shows only one result (using Albert Warsaw, rather the full Albert t. Warsaw. See: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/5935587 One photo of this linked piece of artwork shows the words, "Estate of Albert T. Warsaw. This is EXACTLY as exists on the back of my sketch. So, it appears it is possible that Albert Warsaw was the artist of both pieces of artwork. Or it is also possible that he was the artist of one and the mere owner of the other. It would be interesting if one of the chess players was actually Albert Warsaw. I cannot find a date on either my piece or the linked piece. I also cannot find the DOB or the DOD of Albert Warsaw. I am fairly sure that such info exists somewhere on the Web, but I have not as yet found it. Ok, I have digressed enough (maybe! 😉 ). BACK to my chess picture. 1.) The chess pieces appear to be stauntonish. 2.) Real diehards of chess, I am sure, can be found playing chess in outdoor cool or cold settings in various places in the world. 3.) I suspect that it is Late Fall (assuming it is in NYC after all). There appear to be some remains of leaves on the main tree in the picture. However, it could also be Early Spring, since oak leaves can often stay attached to branchlets and branches throughout winters. Since the shapes/outline of the (apparent?) leaves are not really all that clear, this is just some speculation on my part. In addition, I do not see earmuffs, so if it is in the middle of winter, it is a relatively mild day. There appear to be at least two other people in the picture: One appears to be walking away and is near a bench where another individual is seated. It may well be Late Fall or Early Spring (or a mild Mid-Winter day) if at least 4 people are in the park. Actually, as to whether or not this is really Washington Square Park, I am unsure. But it would not surprise me if it is WSP. It is well known for playing chess outside in a park in NYC. Granted, there is no chess clock, and the game gives an air of leisurely play. But "chess sharks" (playing speed chess, and with a chess clock,) do frequent the Park. BTW, the Park is not far from at least one Chess Store in Greenwich Village. I have searched the web for some picture of Washington Square Park to see if the buildings in the background are similar to the ones in my picture. I really do not see any foolproof similarities. According to one source of information, about 1700 parks exist in NYC (I am not sure if that means Manhattan only, or also the 5 boroughs. I suspect it means the 5 boroughs. So, the site for this chess game could be almost anywhere in a large or small metropolis! The same source indicates that Washington Square Park is 10 acres big. (Could that be??? Might that be in error?) And finally, indications are that the chess section of the park is in the southeast corner of WSP. (Again, I see hardly any striking similarity in the buildings.) I do not know what decade the picture is from - that is, when it was drawn, or when the chess game was depicting. Oh well... maybe enough speculating and "discussing" from the living room of a small Vermont home on this very rainy Sunday afternoon. Anyone for a game of chess? My doors are open. Come visit! John, VT.

[chesspurr]

Well John, I like the look of this work, and with a chess theme it is just possible he played the game. Maybe he played for a local chess club, and it is likely he did more than one Charcoal work, drawing whilst " winning " his chess game against his friend. 😉

[knight_knight_zzz]

So, Guy, my adverarial friendly foe... Thanks for the apparent compliment! Now, at the risk of sabotaging my own serious thread... AND to give the "masses" of zombies (heck, did I just say that? I must be hanging around you much too much!) some more drivel to secretly whine about (under cover).... or some more burdened blood to slurp up.... or just some plain Sunday afternoon pseudo entertainment (yes, I am relatively bored, since I really want to play a live game of chess here in central Vermont, rather than do some constructive stuff anywhere else... 😉 ) let me TRY to create some tension: SO, GUY..... does this also mean that you will be soon sketching a picture yourself... where you show a winning position or a won game against me, you dastardly dude? ;-) Or will you be stretching the truth... (rather than sketching in your booth?)... stretching your long reach across onto this side of the ocean?... stretching your longwinded words and explanations (you hanging around ME too much?) into the winding hallways of these convoluted threads? Will you be drawing more than a game this time? Will you have a winning picture of a self portrait? Will you corner your opponent with talkative traps? Will you paint and place yourself in a no-win position? Or will you vocally and volumously vent vindictively in a vermint villainous vay? Your turn, my friend! John.

[knight_knight_zzz]

Ok, Mick... This is my response to your question on (I believe it is posting # 1057) on the Chat thread. Here is the "secret". Either: A.) Consult with (surprise!) our very own fearless Baron Duncan d-baron. He gave me the lead on it, as well as the encouragement... but most of all, almost spelled it out for me, since I am really a computer Dunce, and Duncan, ... well, he is anything but a Dunce. (He's just Duncan...!) OR: B.) Follow the following directions (my own, so beware!) ;-) 1.) Google "Photobucket". 2.) Join "Photobucket" (you will need to make up an ID as well as a password. It is possible that you might need some special (or normal) computer software or capacity or whatever (see, i am a dunce about siuch things) Your lack of whatever might be preventing you from getting pictures downloaded directly into the threads... (ask Duncan). 3.) After you join photobucket, there is a large green button (at least on my screen) that you can press to download a picture you have stored on your hard drive. Click onto that big rectangular (like I said, it's green on my screen), and a box with all of your computer gizmos and places pops up (possibly on the upper left of your large screen). 4.) Within that upper left box, go to the specific place where you keep your picture files and eventually get to the picture that you want to download into your photobucket place. Click onto that specific picture place. 5.) The picture will then automatically be downloaded into your photo album. (It may a take a few seconds or maybe up to a minuite or so... or more) 6.) You will then have the opportunity, while you are in the photobucket album, to add a title and more info (a description, etc. if you want.) 7.) At the bottom of that screen (with the small picture and title and description), there is a button that you can press. The title of the button is "save". 8.) Click onto that "save" button. 9.) On the next screen, you will be given the options regarding the picture you just downladed. The options are: edit, move, share, or delete. 10.) Click on "share". 11.) A new screen will pop up, and among the choices you will have is "get link code". 12.) Click onto that button that says, "get link code". 13.) A new screen will pop up "HTML for websites and blogs" (and it gives as an example, ebay!). 14.) Click inside that (checked off) box. Some comouter geek's gibberish words will then be blue highlighted after you click onto it. 15.) After the blue highlight comes on, simultaneously press the keys "control" and "c" on your keyboard. 16.) Then go to a thread within this ebay group (like I am doing right here and now)... do a little gibberish jig (like I have been doing), itemizing #'s 1 -16, and simultaeously press "control" and "v" on the keyboard, and voila! Now, let's see if it has worked for me! If it does, then I hope it will work for you. BTW, the lower right of this print (I think the specfic term is maybe a lithograph?... I do not know the difference!) has the words printed: A. LEGRAS OLEOGR There are more words to the lower left. If you or anyone else are interested, ask me, and I will go and look closer. I bought this at a Feal Market a couple/few years ago. I like it a lot. (A wounded(?) soldier playing chess with a Lady. Snoozing bow-wow below...) If any viewer knows anything about this print / lithograph / picture, please let me know! Ciao! John. PS: I have not spell-checked this posting right here; apologies about that. I am just hoping that all of this work "takes"... :-) -- Edited by knight_knight_zzz at 08/11/2010 7:06 PM PDT

[d-baron]

Looks like John has it pretty well covered, although I'm a little confused about the dancing jig in #16, but I think #15 and 16 are basically covering the shortcut keys to copying and pasting the image into the thread. Sometimes, I find I have to add a little script before or after to get it to come out the way I want- and if it comes out too big (try Preview before you Send), then a script to adjust the size is definitely necessary. If that should be the case, just let us know, and one of us can walk you through that also.

[candylab1]

-- Edited by candylab1 at 08/12/2010 7:24 AM PDT

[candylab1]

Thanks, John. I think I need to work on my technique! Also it says "edited by" (above) but in actual fact it wouldn't let me! Mick ps those powerful binoculars would come in handy about now :-) -- Edited by candylab1 at 08/12/2010 7:34 AM PDT

[knight_knight_zzz]

Mick, You're welcome! (Also, a big thanks to Duncan for starting this ball rolling!) BTW, Mick... I have such a red and white ivory chess sets, but one of the white "mystery" / "puzzle" balls under one of my white knights is partially broken. Alas! John. PS: How's our "GUY" coming along?