A Modern Game of Chess

Portrait of Chess Players by Marcel Duchamp beautifully presents mysterious features to puzzle the reader and portrays the two figures in a nonlinear fashion. Duchamp was an avid chess player and often incorporated the strategic game into his art. The numerous shadowy figures and distinctive colour scheme enable the reader to draw their own conclusions. These puzzling features compel the reader to interpret and decipher the hidden meaning. Furthermore, Duchamp illustrates the two players in a unique manner. He purposefully overlaps shadows and lines to create a multiplying effect of faces; however, chess only allows for two players. His distinct perspective of a tricky game of chess adds perplexity to the portrait. Moreover, Duchamp mystifies the reader with strange features and forces their participation as well as expresses his thoughts in a nonlinear style.