The horizontally oriented painting depicts three figures: two men playing dice and a woman. The figures are shown half-length, leaning over a table. One man is on the left, turned to the viewer with his right side. The other man is opposite him, on the right side, turned with his left side toward the viewer. Behind him, above the seated figure, stands a woman facing the viewer. The color palette is brown and muted. Light falls from above, from the left, illuminating the figures only partially.

The man on the left has black, curly hair and a dark mustache. He wears dark armor and a red sash draped over his right shoulder. A sash is a wide, long band of fabric used as part of a garment. His face is almost entirely hidden in shadow. Only his right cheek, ear, and the right hand resting on the table are illuminated. He touches the tabletop with the index finger of his right hand.

On the right side is a young man with brown, curly hair. He wears a dark beret with a white feather. He is dressed in light-colored armor. Around his neck he wears a ruff—a stiff, circular collar surrounding the entire neck, made of white, pleated fabric. The young man rests his left hand on the edge of the table. With his right hand he places a coin on the table. Light falls on his armor, hands, left cheek, part of his ear and nose, and his chin. The remaining parts are in shadow.

Between the figures, in the background, stands a woman. She has dark hair gathered up. She wears a brown dress with a laced bodice, and beneath it a white blouse. She bends over the players. Her left hand rests on the left shoulder of the youth in light armor. Her right hand is raised gently above the table. Light falls on her forehead, nose, and neckline.

The table they lean over is wooden and dark brown. Under each figure's hands lie several coins. In the center rest three dice—small white cubes with black pips.

The painting is an example of one of the most important artistic currents of seventeenth-century painting: Caravaggism. This movement continued the painterly tendencies of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, whose work was characterized by strong chiaroscuro and a realism combined with emotional intensity and dramatic tension. The scene depicted in Dice Players carries a moralizing character. It may be read as a warning to the young man in silver armor, advising him to beware of the dangers that lurk in the world. The youth embodies innocence and purity.

Audio description: Emilia Szymańska
Consultation: Adrian Wyka
Content consultation: Miłosz Kargol