By Rmn-Grand Palais
RMN-Grand Palais
The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds (17th Century) by Georges de La Tour (1493-1652), musée du LouvreOriginal Source: Paris, musée du Louvre
The cheating card player turns outwards to the onlooker as if to make them an accomplice in his deed.
The servant carefully watches her cheating accomplice out of the corner of her eye.
In the center of the painting sits a young woman with a knowing look, beckoning the servant to her side. This is the start of a fool's game: a 3-against-1 setup only revealed by the circling glances.
Meanwhile, the overdressed young man on the right concentrates on his game, indifferent to the looks being exchanged around the table and about to fall victim to the cheating happening around him, of which he is unaware.
We would like to thank:
- For design, illustrations, writing, and coordination of the RMN-Grand Palais project: Cécile Maisonneuve (Doctor of Art History, Policy Officer, Scientific Council), Nathalie Gathelier (National Museums Speaker), Annie Madec (Iconographer), Françoise Lombardi-Peissel (Project Manager) at RMN-Grand Palais.
- For reproductions: French museum collections represented by the Photo Agency of the Réunion des musées nationaux-Grand Palais:
Montpellier, Musée Fabre; Versailles, Musée Lambinet; Lille, Palais des Beaux-Arts; Paris, The Louvre; Paris, Centre Pompidou (Musée National d'Art Moderne - Centre de Création Industrielle).
