The Card Layer

The Card Layer is a caricature of a fortune-telling practice that became popular in the late 18th century in which playing cards were used to read the future. The etching appeared in 1818–20 as one of 30 illustrations for the magazine “Zerrbilder menschlicher Thorheiten und Schwächen” (Caricatures of Human Folly and Weakness). It derides card reading as a dishonest practice. The card reader is reminiscent of an old fairy-tale witch. Her foolish-looking customers hope for thrilling news in matters of love.