The Fortune-Teller

In the pictureA young man stands in the center of the picture, looking down at the old fortune-teller on the right. She places a coin in his hand and pretends to tell his fortune. Meanwhile the woman on the left takes out his purse, and the woman beside her is cutting the chain of the gold medal hanging at his neck. All the figures glance at one another sideways, moving only their eyes. The embroidery and patterns of the clothing are extremely precise.

BackgroundIt was painted in the Lorraine region in the 1630s. La Tour is famous for night scenes in which a single candle lights the darkness, but this is a bright daytime scene. It follows the theme of "swindlers and the naive young man," which began with Caravaggio. The painting was in a French château until the museum bought it in 1960, and though its authenticity was once disputed, it is now accepted as one of La Tour's masterpieces.

Puzzle tipFix the faces and hands of the five figures first. Each costume has a different pattern (red embroidery, white stripes, black), so they can be sorted by color and pattern. The background is a plain brown, so leave it for last. Small props between the figures, such as hands, the purse and the medal chain, are both the story and the reference points.