Death playing chess, Medieval mural in Täby Church, Sweden
Death playing chess is a mural in Täby Church, Sweden, painted by Albertus Pictor in the late 15th century. The scene shows a living person playing chess against a skeletal Death, with faded hues from natural pigments applied directly onto lime plaster.
Albertus Pictor completed the work during the 1480s, a period when Swedish churches received numerous wall paintings with moral themes. The depiction followed a medieval motif showing the triumph of death over earthly cleverness.
The painting reflects medieval European perspectives on mortality through the metaphor of chess, a game associated with strategy and intellectual pursuit.
The painting is located on a church wall in Täby north of Stockholm and can be viewed during the church's open hours. The Swedish Museum of History in Stockholm displays a detailed reproduction accessible during poor travel weather.
A now-faded Swedish inscription above the players originally read 'Jak spelar tik matt', which translates as 'I checkmate thee'. The wording followed early Swedish orthography that predated modern spelling reforms.
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