Image of the Week 021

Georges de La Tour's The Fortune-Teller depicts the act of palmistry, one of the most ancient magic arts. Each line of the hand corresponds to a segment of human life: family, love, death, success, social position, instinct, and intelligence. The "mounts" are studied in relation to the seven planets.

Georges de La Tour, The Fortune-Teller, ca. 1632-35.

There are some interesting details hidden in the piece. The young man's naiveté is made more apparent by the words "love" and "faith" inscribed on the chains he wears around his neck. Distracted by the chiromancer, he does not notice that his pocket is being picked.