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View of the Pyramid Fountain in the Gardens of Versailles

ca. 1680–90

Not on view

Fans sometimes served as precious gifts or mementos of a visit to Versailles. This example features a view of the gardens with the Pyramid Fountain, created in 1669–71 by the sculptor François Girardon and activated whenever Louis XIV or "someone of consequence" passed by. To make this fan, a print by a member of the Pérelle family was meticulously colored, then glued on a fan leaf and framed with a stage-like composition of the painter’s design.

View of the Pyramid Fountain in the Gardens of Versailles, Paper leaf, engraved and painted in gouache, gilded; sticks and guards: carved and pierced ivory, French — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: View of the Pyramid Fountain in the Gardens of Versailles

Date: ca. 1680–90

Culture: French

Medium: Paper leaf, engraved and painted in gouache, gilded; sticks and guards: carved and pierced ivory

Dimensions: 12 11/16 × 24 in. (32.3 × 61 cm)

Classification: Fans

Credit Line: The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Bloomfield Moore Collection, 1899 (1899-770)

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European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at The Met

The Met's comprehensive collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century.