An artwork on Galleree from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About the artwork
The Fortune-TellerGeorges de La Tour
French, Vic-sur-Seille 1593–1652 Lunéville
probably 1630s
40 1/8 x 48 5/8 in. (101.9 x 123.5 cm)
Painting
Oil on canvas
European Paintings
Rogers Fund, 1960
In Georges de La Tour's "The Fortune-Teller," a moment of intrigue unfolds. At the center, a young man stands, his expression a mix of curiosity and skepticism. He gazes at an older woman whose hands are poised delicately, revealing a gold ring that glimmers in the light.
The contrasting expressions in the figures surrounding him tell a deeper story. The younger woman beside him looks on, her curiosity mirrored in the young man's stance. The mix of colorful costumes and soft, warm lighting adds a mystical quality to the scene, drawing viewers into an intimate moment of decision and revelation.
La Tour expertly uses light to highlight the fortune-teller, casting a subtle glow that emphasizes her role as a symbol of knowledge and fate. The shadows that envelop the other figures create a sense of tension, suggesting the weight of choices yet to be made. As he listens to the fortune-teller, the young man's fate hangs in the balance, captured beautifully in this serene yet profound moment.
About the artist
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