A Difficult Move

Lépicié established his reputation as a history painter—the most prestigious category in the Académie Royale—but excelled in other subjects, too. His scenes of everyday life were admired in his day and are now his most celebrated works. In A Difficult Move, three men occupy a cluttered, humble interior. The two card players are intent on their game. The one sitting on an upended cabinet is about to play a card, while his opponent assumes the classic pose of deep contemplation, chin on hand and eyes downcast. Their absorption draws us in, but we will never know the outcome. Lépicié’s inspiration came from 17th-century Dutch and Flemish genre paintings and peasant and tavern scenes, which were enthusiastically collected in France in his day. Lépicié departed from those earlier works, however, in omitting any moralizing element. He also flooded this interior with bright light and employed a silvery palette, with touches of gray wash combined with purple, green, yellow, burgundy, and luminous orange watercolor.