Copy of La Halte des Bohémiens: Les Diseuses de Bonne Aventure (The Gypsy Stopover: The Fortune Tellers), from Le Bohémiens, série appelée aussi Les Égyptiens, La Marche des Bohémiens, La Vie Errante des Bohémiens, Les Marches Égyptiennes (The Gypsies, series also called The Egyptians, The Gypsy Troops, The Wandering Lives of Gypsies, The Egyptian Troops) 1610 - 1700

This engraving, a copy after Jacques Callot, depicts a band of traveling Gypsies, or Bohemians, a group historically marginalized and often viewed with suspicion. This piece offers a window into the social dynamics and prejudices of the time. The figures are rendered with a stark realism, yet also evoke a sense of the exotic "other." The presence of fortune tellers highlights the Romani people's association with mysticism, a stereotype which simultaneously intrigued and fueled discrimination. The inscription warns: "You who take pleasure in their words, guard your white testoons and pistoles", which illustrates the widespread fear of theft and deception associated with the group. What we see here is a narrative charged with stereotypes, reflecting societal anxieties about outsiders and the unknown. The image prompts us to consider how historical representations shape perceptions and perpetuate prejudices against marginalized communities, while also acknowledging their complex identities and lived experiences.