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Fortunes

George Dunlop Leslie (English, 1835–1921)

A young woman leans over a table, her fingers tracing the lines of a fortune-telling book. The room glows with warm lamplight, casting shadows that hint at secrets yet to unfold. Her expression lingers between curiosity and apprehension, as if the pages hold more than she bargained for.
Le bon Dieu chez les enfants Pl.02 (1920)

Francis Jammes (French, unknown)

Children gather in hushed wonder, their small hands reaching toward something unseen. Light spills across their faces, soft as a whisper. The divine lingers just beyond the frame, close enough to touch.
The Salutation Of Beatrice (1869)

Dante Gabriel Rossetti (English, 1828–1882)

Beatrice’s gaze meets Dante’s across a sunlit street—her hand lifts, poised between greeting and farewell. The air hums with unspoken words, a moment suspended between devotion and longing. Gold threads her gown, light catches her sleeve. A silent exchange, heavy with what could have been.
Portrait of Eugenia Alexandra Rubtsov, mother of the painter Rubtsov (1910)

Jan Ciągliński (Polish, 1858–1913)

A woman gazes past the frame, her face softly lit with quiet dignity. Loose brushstrokes blur the edges of her dark dress, letting warmth seep into the background. There’s weight in her stillness—not posed, but paused, as if she might sigh and turn away any moment.
In the Conservatory (1879)

Édouard Manet (French, 1832–1883)

A woman in a striped dress leans against a chair, her gaze distant. Beside her, a man in a dark suit smokes, eyes downcast. Sunlight filters through the conservatory’s glass, casting dappled shadows on their faces—an ordinary moment thick with unspoken tension.
The Botanist (1870)

George Elgar Hicks (English, 1824–1914)

A woman in a sunlit conservatory leans over a specimen, her fingers brushing delicate petals. The folds of her dress catch the light as she studies the plant with quiet intensity. Around her, glass panes blur the garden beyond, framing this private communion with nature.
Ständchen (The Serenade) (1854)

Carl Spitzweg (German, 1808–1885)

Moonlight spills over the balcony as a lone musician plays below. The woman leans forward, caught between shadow and light, while her companion lingers behind. A stolen moment hangs in the air—quiet, charged, suspended between the notes and the night.
Niel Gow, 1727 – 1807. Violinist and composer (1787)

Sir Henry Raeburn (English, 1756–1823)

A weathered hand grips the violin’s neck, fingers poised mid-melody. The bow hovers, suspended between notes, as if the next stroke might summon the Highlands themselves. His gaze, distant yet sharp, holds the quiet intensity of a man who’s pulled music from silence a thousand times before.
Die Postbotin

Mathias Schmid (Austrian, 1835–1923)

A postal worker pauses mid-route, her blue uniform crisp against the muted street. The weight of letters in her satchel hints at unseen stories waiting to be delivered. Her gaze, steady and weary, holds the quiet resolve of someone who bridges distances daily yet remains unnoticed.
Ornithologia methodice digesta Pl.260 (1767-1776)

Saverio Manetti (Italian, 1723–1784)

A meticulous engraving of birds, each feather and curve rendered with scientific precision. The plates reveal nature’s intricate designs, frozen in ink—a silent study of wings, beaks, and the sharp clarity of observation.
The kiss (lovers) (1908)

Gustav Klimt (Austrian, 1862–1918)

Two figures melt into each other, wrapped in swirling gold. His hands cradle her face as her fingers cling to his wrist. Their robes dissolve into intricate patterns—geometric for him, floral for her. The gold leaf shimmers, sealing them in a private world where touch becomes ornament.
Fauna japonica Pl.057 (1833-1850)

Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (German, 1796–1866)

Delicate wings unfold against crisp paper—a Japanese insect preserved in ink, each vein and segment rendered with scientific precision. The creature seems poised to take flight from its page, frozen mid-motion between study and specimen.
Atlas państwa zwierzęcego Pl.78 (1905)

Kurt Lampert (German, unknown)

A meticulous grid of creatures—each line precise, each form distinct. The engraving arranges the animal kingdom into orderly rows, transforming wildness into a catalog of sharp contrasts and delicate details. Life pinned to the page, yet bristling with unseen movement.
Gonorynchus fosteri (NZ) _ Sand fish (after 1870)

Frank Edward Clarke (New Zealander, 1864–1935)

A slender, eel-like fish twists through the sand, its pale body nearly translucent against the seabed. Delicate fins ripple with motion, perfectly adapted to burrow and vanish. The details—every scale, every subtle curve—hint at a life spent hidden just beneath the surface.
Fishes III (1885-1890)

Frederick McCoy (Irish, unknown)

Delicate fins ripple through translucent watercolor washes. Scales glint with muted iridescence, each brushstroke tracing the fluid grace of marine life suspended on paper. The fish seem to dart just beyond the page’s edge.