Divination in Tea Leaves
1879
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1879
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Divination in Tea Leaves is a 1879 ink by Alfred Brennan, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a woman in a long, flowing dress with a lace collar. She’s hunched slightly, holding a small round mirror in one hand and peering into a teacup with the other. The background has a dark, textured wall with a carved panel showing people in a circular design. The artist used loose, sketchy lines to show movement and fabric folds. The woman’s pose and the mirror suggest she’s reading tea leaves—a common practice for fortune-telling. Next, look up etching to see how this technique creates such detailed textures.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
