This unusual theme was treated by Leyden on repeated occasions and has given rise to various interpretations. On the one hand, political undertones have been seen in this peaceful scene of a card game: Cardenal Wolsey - on the right- wished to make a secret pact with Charles I of Spain -on the left- with the mediation of Margaret of Austria -in the centre- against France. Another vision is that of a struggle of two men for the love of a woman. The perfect and balanced composition, the interplay of lights and the precision of the drawing are its most outstanding features.
