In this copper plate engraving of 1764, by Thomas Jefferys, we travel to the outer regions of the Russian Empire. This artwork does not simply portray an old wives' tale, but rather symbolizes the craze for the "Other Orient" in 18th century Europe. The fortune-teller is no ordinary fraud but one of dignity, dressed in thick, richly textured fur coats and nomadic attire suggesting a life spent on the steppes and in the palaces.Through Jefferys’ masterful use of lines, we see the contrasts in the light and shade of the environment, from the dark shadows of the rustic interior to the penetrating gaze of the fortune teller.
