The Fortune Teller

The Fortune Teller was completed in 1894 by the American genre painter Robert Loftin Newman as an independent studio work; the date and medium (oil on canvas) are recorded in the museum's documentation. The painting measures 25.4 × 35.6 cm and is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it belongs to the institution's American Wing collection. Its provenance is limited to the artist's execution in 1894 and subsequent ownership by the museum, with no evidence of a specific commission or prior private ownership. The available sources do not specify an accession number, loan record, or exhibition history.

Robert Loftin Newman's The Fortune Teller, painted in 1894, is an oil on canvas that captures an intimate genre scene. The artwork depicts a woman engaged in the act of reading a child's palm, rendered with a focus on atmosphere and understated narrative. This piece exemplifies Newman's characteristic exploration of mood and private moments within everyday American life, reflecting his artistic sensibilities during the late 19th century.

Active as both a painter and a stained-glass designer, Robert Loftin Newman was a notable figure in late 19th-century American art. His oil paintings frequently explored genre scenes, prioritizing emotional depth and narrative suggestion over detailed realism. The Fortune Teller fits within his broader body of work, which often shared a stylistic kinship with artists like Albert Pinkham Ryder, who also favored atmospheric and contemplative compositions.