The Fortune Teller appeared in the middle of the 20th century after a French man found it in his uncle’s castle. The painting was purchased by Georges Wildenstein in 1949 for 7.5 million francs. The Metropolitan Museum of Art later acquired it in 1960. Although the The Fortune Teller has been claimed to be a work of forgery (Christopher Wright still questions its authenticity), today, it is generally accepted as a La Tour.
By Alyssa Kent
Sources:
“The Mystery of ‘The Fortune Teller’ by Georges de la Tour.” ArtLark (13 March 2021).https://artlark.org/2021/03/13/the-mystery-of-the-fortune-teller-by-georges-de-la-tour/ [accessed 11 May 2021].
Wright, Christopher and Diana de Marly. “Fake?” Connoisseur 205.823 (September 1980): 22–25.
Wright, Christopher. “Cheat? Connoisseur 205.826 (December 1980): 230–31.
Wright, Christopher. The Art of the Forger. New York: Dodd, Mead, & Co., 1985.