Calder

Chess Knightmares is a cycle of nearly four dozen unbridled drawings by Calder of wild chess scenarios, created in 1944. Bawdy female knights, conspiring bishops, and misbehaving queens engage clueless rooks, lewd pawns, and mating kings. They unleash an otherwise regulated game into frenzied conflicts of immorality, with executions and sexual mishaps. Calder''s chess pieces have kicked off all constraints. They move any way they like. They pose, preen and prance across the chess board, giddily engaging in gossip, backstabbing, sex acts, mayhem, even murder. Marcel Duchamp, who was passionate about the game, added alternate titles to many of Calder''s drawings, which are referenced here.