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In this direct, close-up view, almost as if seated at the table ourselves, we see two card players. In the right background is a third man, who is covertly signalling to the player wearing a hat. This was a popular motif in the 17th century: swindlers from the demi-monde scene trick naive youngsters from well-to-do families. The artist’s naturalistic style and his use of light-dark contrast (“chiaroscuro”) to enhance the painting’s dramatic effect is modelled on Caravaggio.