Chess

In a colonnaded loggia with a green-and-white diamond floor, a woman in a teal dress stacks silver and gold jugs and coffee pots into a tall pyramid topped by a dish of small roasted birds, beside a set chess board. A seated woman in a white gown rests her hand near the pieces. A spotted, hairless dog sits at lower left, a hairless cat waits by a potted plant at right, and a tufted-eared wildcat perches on a column above.

Cool teals and greens contrast with warm gold and cream tones, painted with smooth, precise brushwork and soft light. The odd mix of stacked vessels and watching animals lends the tranquil scene a quietly surreal air.