Duel

Two women in richly patterned red-and-gold gowns sit before a chessboard set mid-game, one holding an open fan; behind them a masked figure in a checkered doublet reaches toward a silver urn heaped with peonies, lilies and peaches, while a black crow, a caged songbird and a red-winged woman look on.

Dense, jewel-bright reds, golds and blues are built up across every textile, feather and petal with meticulous, even attention, leaving no passage in shadow. The tightly packed, tapestry-like arrangement and theatrical costumes give the scene a hushed, ceremonial air, as if a quiet contest were unfolding beneath the surface finery.