A Fortune Teller
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
A Fortune Teller is a 1790 paint by Puqua, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a fortune teller in old Guangzhou. She’s dressed in bright robes, holding cards while a young man waits, nervous. A small monkey peeks from her sleeve—it’s there for luck. These pictures were made for curious Europeans who wanted to know about Chinese life. Each one shows a different job, like this set of 100 paintings. If you like this, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum where it’s kept.
A rectangular watercolor painting from 1790 depicts a fortune teller as part of a set of 100 images illustrating trades and occupations in Canton. The central figure, dressed in blue with a red hat, sits beneath a black umbrella at a table. These works were produced for European audiences seeking information about China and its people. The painting was acquired from Parsons & Sons and accessioned in 1898.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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