An Interesting Game

Depictions of the Middle East were very popular during the nineteenth century. Frederick Arthur Bridgman intended to evoke a Cairo café in this painting, with its architectural details and costumes. As was the case for the William Merritt Chase painting nearby, however, the real setting was the artist’s studio. Bridgman painted this scene in Paris and included souvenirs from his travels in Algeria. The work received praise both for its masterful handling of light and shade and its portrayal of figures not simply as cultural stereotypes but as individuals, through expressive use of gesture and pose.