Painted fan with a design of feathers and three medallions
This large hand-painted fan was made by the British artist Charles Edward Conder. He began making fans relatively late in his career in the 1890s, a period which marked the transition from historicism to Art Nouveau in the arts. This fan exemplifies this transition in the combination of historical Rococo motifs and Art Nouveau elements.The design consists of three medallions, which are placed against a background of feathers and other ornaments. The three oval medallions or compartments are filled with depictions of women. The central horizontal oval appears to show a veiled woman in a black dress, while the outer two vertical ovals respectively show a woman out in nature, and a nude female figure. The medallions are surrounded by pink floral edge, which stands out from the background decorations in green, grey and blue. Various outlines are highlighted by a dotted pattern, which might have been meant to be finished in gold and/or silver. The dominance of ornament over figures in this design is unusual for Conder, of whom another fan, known as "The Spanish Piazza" is kept in the museum's collection (accession number 12.10).
Artwork Details
- Title: Painted fan with a design of feathers and three medallions
- Artist: Charles Edward Conder (British, London 1868–1909 Virginia Water, Surrey)
- Date: 1893–1909
- Medium: Watercolor on silk with white gouache heightening
- Dimensions: 10 5/8 × 15 5/8 in. (27 × 39.7 cm)
- Classifications: Drawings, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Bequest of James David Draper, from the Robert Isaacson Collection, 2019
- Object Number: 2021.15.25
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Charles Edward Conder
1896
Thomas Girtin
1796–97
Joseph Mallord William Turner
1843
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Henry Treffry Dunn
1867
Gideon Saint
ca. 1760
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.