The Poker Game 1888

Editor: "The Poker Game", an oil painting by William Holbrook Beard dating back to 1888. It's… well, it's quite odd! There's something darkly humorous about it. What's your take, looking at this tableau? Curator: It is curious, isn’t it? Monkeys dressed as humans, engrossed in a card game. For me, it’s a satirical commentary. A jab at the foibles of human society. Look at their expressions. The chimp with the cards seems quite proud, while another broods like he's scheming something awful. What do you think they are scheming? Editor: Absolutely. It's the subtle anthropomorphism that really grabs me, that almost recognisable sense of character! Do you see a commentary about class perhaps? The differing costumes, for instance? Curator: Ah, a brilliant point! Look at the character standing observing the game, in the darker garb. It's definitely poking fun at social hierarchy, maybe suggesting that at our core, we're all just apes in fancy clothes, chasing dominance, perhaps? Editor: Yes! And there's something about the way the light pools on certain figures but leaves others in shadow. Does that add anything for you, regarding symbolism? Curator: It does, and perhaps quite intentionally. Light for those holding the winning hands or perhaps, in Beard's view, those "winning" at society. Those hidden in the dark? Likely up to no good, or destined to loose at the table, and in life. Editor: Right, I never thought of it quite that way! I appreciate your breakdown of Beard's social and symbolic language; there's an undercurrent of social cynicism here, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely! Maybe Beard observed behaviors within "high" society and merely reinterpreted the scene as "monkeys", exposing these habits in a memorable and comical painting. What have you walked away with from our brief chat? Editor: That these animals at play in our game expose our flaws. And you? Curator: Exactly! It's an open jab that gets better on each look. Now I must find a new poker partner, a parrot perhaps.