Fortune-Teller
c. 1608
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 31.3 × 20.9 cm (12 3/8 × 8 1/4 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268221
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
**Fortune-Teller** by Jacques de Gheyn II, created around 1608, invites visitors into the intriguing world of early 17th-century Dutch printmaking. This engraving on ivory laid paper, measuring31.3 × 20.9 cm, resides in the Art Institute of's Prints and Drawings department De Gheyn II (1565–1629), a masterful Haarlem-based artist and engraver, was renowned for his precise line work and atmospheric depth, bridging late Mannerism with the nascent Dutch Golden Age style. Engraving, de Gheyn's specialty, involved incising intricate designs into a metal plate with a burin, producing rich, reproducible images that democratized art for collectors beyond the elite. The ivory laid paper—characterized by its subtle texture and warm tone—enhanced the print's luminosity and durability, a hallmark of high-quality Northern European production during this era of expanding trade and cultural exchange. The title evokes a timeless genre scene, reflecting societal fascination with fortune-telling amid superstition and everyday life in the Netherlands. De Gheyn's works, eagerly sought by contemporaries like Rembrandt, capture human curiosity and moral undertones, making this piece a window into the artistic innovations and cultural pulse of 1608.
About the Artist
Jacques de Gheyn, II · 1565–1629
Jacques de Gheyn II (1565–1629) was born in Antwerp into an artistic family, receiving his earliest instruction from his father, Jacob de Gheyn I, a skilled glass painter, engraver, and draftsman. In 1585, the young de Gheyn moved to Haarlem, where he spent five formative years studying under Hendrik Goltzius, one of the most celebrated engravers of the Northern Renaissance. This apprenticeship pr...