The Cardsharps by Caravaggio

A well-dressed boy studies his cards while two swindlers pick him apart: one peers over his shoulder and signals, the other hides spare cards in his belt behind his back (and keeps a dagger handy). Caravaggio painted this crime in progress around 1595. Cardinal del Monte bought it and became his first important patron, giving him rooms in his palace. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth.