The Café Card Players #artinisolation

This photograph is a modernized version of an oil painting by French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne. Of the four paintings in his series attempting to perfect the poses and positions of typical card players, I chose to recreate the final painting in the series.

I was drawn to the colors of the paintings, and the contrast between his first piece and his final piece. In particular, I was drawn to his painting of a duo playing a card game because of the color scheme, specifically the warm tones of the table and the atmosphere of the painting.

For this project, I asked two baristas at my local coffee shop if they would be willing to play a card game of their choice. The game they selected to play was “Palace,” and this image was taken around the start of the game.

While the poses and the warmth of the picture is meant to emulate that of Cézanne’s painting, there are some minor differences, such as a larger table to enforce social distancing, a coffee cup in place of the bottle of (what I assume to be) alcohol, and masks on both models, as mandated by New York City. In comparison to the original, the modernized version focuses more on how universal playing cards has become. You can find card players anywhere in the city, even in your local coffee shop.

The goal of this photo is to depict that, even in troubling times, we can still connect through games. Although the stakes were more than likely higher for the players depicted in Cézanne’s series, just the thrill of winning is enough to keep people engaged in the game.

This photograph was taken and edited by Katelyn Villacres. The models in the photo are not affiliated with the Macaulay Honors College and wish to remain anonymous.