Late 18th-Century Louis XVI Period Framed Folding Fan

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This exquisite piece is a classic Late 18th-Century European folding fan, meticulously crafted during the Louis XVI period (c. 1775–1790). … Read more This exquisite piece is a classic Late 18th-Century European folding fan, meticulously crafted during the Louis XVI period (c. 1775–1790). The fan was most likely made in France or by French-trained artisans in England. During this period, Paris was the undisputed epicenter of luxury fan production, the creators described in French as éventaillistes, as they exported high-fashion fans across Europe. This one is suspended in a custom shadow box-like frame to protect it for another 250 years.

DECORATION: The fan relies heavily on Neo-classical allegories of Love, Music and Virtue, heavily influenced by the pastoral designs of period artists like Jean-Honoré Fragonard and François Boucher. The central oval portrait depicts a shy young lady looking downward. The left and right painted ovals depict cherubs amid soft clouds. One cherub holds a flaming torch or quiver, universally symbolizing Cupid and the fire of romantic love. Interspersed between the portrait and the cherubs are classical columns draped with laurel wreaths and topped with burning altars or urns, which represent constancy, eternal devotion, and fidelity. On the sticks, the intricate carving outlines a central medallion showing a woman playing a harp next to an attentive companion. This directly honors Music and the Arts, a favorite pastime of refined late-18th-century ladies.

MATERIALS & CRAFTSMANSHIP: The fan represents a high-water mark of mixed-media decorative art. The supporting sticks and guards are made of intricately hand-carved and pierced bone. The lace-like openwork pattern (découpé) requires monumental skill, achieved using fine saws and files to form tiny geometric grids and silhouettes.

The fan face is composed of fine vellum (skin) or high-quality heavy paper. Paper or fine vellum was preferred for this specific style because it held highly detailed, watercolor and gouache miniature paintings without bleeding or warping. The entire piece is finished with delicate floral garlands, forget-me-nots, and Neo-classical borders hand-painted in shades of blue, rose, and gold leaf accents.

DATE: The central portrait vignette provides distinct chronological evidence of its creation during the late 1770s to the 1780s. The lady is depicted with a distinct pouf or hérisson (hedgehog) hairstyle, characteristic of the 1770s and 1780s court fashion popularized by Queen Marie Antoinette. It is powdered grey and covered with a delicate lace or ruffled indoor cap. Her low-cut gown with soft, gathered ruffles around the neckline matches the transitioning Neo-classical preferences of the Louis XVI court, shifting away from the hyper-rigid Rococo bodices of the mid-18th century.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Nonexistent. Fan dimensions: 10.5 nches high x 20 inches wide See less