Fan
18th century fans have a sense of authenticity to them because they often depict contemporaneous life. The depiction of the costumes is detailed, and overall quality of the painting is refined, with a nuanced color palette. In the 19th century, good copies were made, and are sometimes difficult to distinguish. One interesting way to identify the 18th century fans, though, is by the color of the hair, which appears powdered gray rather than a natural color, which was the authentic style of the time, a nuance that the Victorians did not adopt in their copies.
This fan is part of a large collection belonging to a Spanish Colonial family.
This fan is part of a large collection belonging to a Spanish Colonial family.
Artwork Details
- Title: Fan
- Date: fourth quarter 18th century
- Culture: French
- Medium: ivory, mother-of-pearl, paper, gouache, paint, metal
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Museum Collection Fund and the Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 1952
- Object Number: 2009.300.1851
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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