An interesting match

"A Nice Game" is a painting that was created by Morbelli in 1904. In the painting, there are some elderly men who are playing cards around a table. The painting is linked to Morbelli's concern regarding the elderly people who lived in the Pio Albergo Trivulzio. The painting does not show some ideal characters, but rather it tries to show one of the moments of ordinary life. The elderly men can be seen deeply engaged in the game and therefore the atmosphere becomes very calm where small gestures and expressions come out to play a vital role. Although the theme of the painting might appear very simple, the painting gives rise to many profound reflections on old age, loneliness, companionship, and aging. The painting has been related to the other series of paintings on the same theme by the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Light is one of the main constituents of the artwork. The artist managed to skillfully create the contrasts of illuminated and shaded areas in order to create a powerful backlighting effect. In accordance with the results of museum investigation, the painting was created on the basis of the photograph, preliminary pencil sketches, and detailed drawings that helped the artist solve the problem of complicated lighting. Another feature of Morbelli's artwork is his interest in Divisionism. Besides the application of blended colors, the artist tried to use the touches of colors to recreate the effect of light. It gave the image a vibrating effect. Thanks to the modest interior and concentrated characters, the painting has the reflective atmosphere. Thus, in spite of the fact that it presents an everyday card game, it reveals Morbelli's general interests such as isolation, aging, and psychological atmosphere of human everyday life.