A Young Man and a Girl playing Cards
- Artist: Rembrandt
- Date: perhaps about 1645-50
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Young Man and a Girl playing Cards" by Rembrandt. Painted in the Dutch north around 1645-1650, it's an oil on canvas piece that showcases the artist's skill in capturing everyday life scenes.
The painting depicts two figures engaged in a game of cards, with one figure staring directly at us, displaying a look of benign amusement, while his opponent is intensely focused on her hand. The presence of coins spilling out of the man's purse onto the table suggests that there may be money at stake, but whether this scene carries an erotic charge or moral message remains uncertain.
The artist often hinted at controversies surrounding card playing in his works. In 17th-century Dutch painting, scenes like these were common, and it was not uncommon for artists to depict people engaged in such activities. However, the theme of card playing was associated with laziness, greed, deceit, and a lack of chastity.
This scene is more intimate than most, depicting a man and woman alone together, but there's no suggestion of a brothel or illicit love. The woman is modestly dressed, and the cards on the table hold no apparent significance. Perhaps we're simply witnessing two young people playing an innocent game.
See it in person
A Young Man and a Girl playing Cards hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
