Le Carré d'As
 

​When I painted Le Carré d’As, I had Georges de La Tour’s The Card Sharp with the Ace of Diamonds in mind. But while La Tour’s gambler relies on deception, this cowboy plays it straight—he simply holds the best hand at the table.

Rather than depicting a typical saloon poker game, as seen so often in movies and Western culture, I wanted something different. I imagined travelers playing poker at a camp, using whatever they had on hand—wooden crates for seats, a plank for a table—a spontaneous game under the open sky.

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Three men are at the table: one has folded, while the other two remain in the game. If you look closely, you’ll see that one of them holds four aces—the ultimate hand. The title, Le Carré d’As (the French term for four aces in poker), came to me instantly. I considered an English equivalent but found nothing quite as striking. In the end, keeping the French title just felt right—it adds a little ‘French touch’ to the West. After all, among the many emigrants who ventured across the frontier, some were French—who’s to say these poker players couldn’t be as well?

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A fun detail—if you look at the frame, you’ll notice that clubs, spades, hearts, and diamonds are carved into it. A brilliant touch by Mayen Olson Frame Makers, making the frame an extension of the story itself.