The Fortune Teller (La Bonne Aventure)

The Fortune Teller, painted in Brussels in 1824 during David's exile from Restoration France, represents his late turn toward genre and mythological subjects. The lighthearted theme marks a dramatic departure from the heroic and political subjects of his revolutionary and Napoleonic years. David's austere oil technique rejected all Rococo softness in favor of a firm, sculptural handling that emphasized drawing over color—figures modelled like antique reliefs against neutral backgrounds,...

The genre subject allows David to indulge in a softer, more sensuous palette than his history paintings typically employ. The figure's costume and setting evoke a generalized classical world, painted with the smooth finish and clear color that characterize David's Brussels period.