The Fortune Teller

Memorable modern paintings earned Nell Choate Jones a national reputation, including representation at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and other prominent exhibitions. Born in Georgia, Jones lived in the South for only a few years before her family’s relocation to New York. Yet, the region remained a constant inspiration and remains the provenance for numerous works. This fortune teller scene exemplifies Jones’s fascination with the underlying ethnic diversity of Southern towns. Rich, saturated colors and expressive brushwork faithfully convey the bustling atmosphere of a marketplace. A cloaked character standing outside a clutch of women represents the Romani people. Traveling throughout the rural South during the 1930s and 1940s, Romanis often concealed their identity because of the intolerance they encountered. Traditionally, the “otherness” of such women is emphasized in American art. To her credit, Jones did not conform to this stereotype. Instead, she presents an unsentimental, densely populated composition in which the title figure is not prioritized.