Waarzegster leest de hand van een jonge vrouw c. 1727

Laurent Cars created this print called *Fortune Teller Reading the Hand of a Young Woman*. The work invites us to reflect on how 18th-century European society grappled with issues of class, gender and belief. In it, a woman, presumably Roma, reads the palm of a young woman from the upper classes, attended by her companions. This scene captures a moment of cultural intersection, where the intimate act of fortune-telling crosses social boundaries. Fortune tellers were often women operating outside the mainstream, who used their position to gain access and insight into the lives of others. Did the fortune teller really have the power to see into the future, or were they giving the women advice based on their social position? Ultimately, this print makes us consider how individuals navigate their lives within the structures of society. It encourages us to think about the intersectional histories of gender, class, and marginalized communities.