Castles in the Hair

In this series on Top eBay Chess Items by Price, I don't get nearly as much artwork as I would like, so it's a pleasure to have two consecutive posts featuring art. The previous post was Another Najdorf.

The item on the left was titled 'QUEEN PLAYS CHESS Orig Oil Painting Peru Fine Art'. It sold for US $700, 'Best offer accepted'. The additional technical info described the painting as 'Size: 13.8 inches W x 25.5 inches H • Weight: 0.40 pounds • Materials: Oil and beeswax on canvas • Additional Info: Arrives unframed; Unstretched; Signed by the artist.'

The description said,

'Queen's Check' (2007) • Images from the game of chess fill this dreamlike composition by Héctor Acevedo. Horses in medieval finery prance across the canvas where a woman stands. Superimposed against her hair, a castle tower appears as though inhabiting her thoughts. "Leaves take the place of her mouth," the artist says. "In this way, I suggest a communication that transcends the spoken word." • Titled: "Jaque de la reina" in Spanish. Artist: Hector Acevedo

The artist added, '"I like subtlety, I like to hide, what is hidden creates mystery and mystery is the secret of art - in this way I challenge the viewer's imagination.' I wouldn't have guessed that this is an example of chess art, but the 'castle tower' in the woman's hair convinced me.