Artwork
L'Eventail cassé
L'Eventail cassé is a paint print by the Baroque artist Louis-Marin Bonnet. It dates from 1764 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
L'Eventail cassé, executed in 1764 by Louis‑Marin Bonnet, is a color‑stipple print that captures an intimate interior scene. The work presents a seated woman holding a broken fan opposite a man who watches her, set within a modestly furnished room.
Subject & Meaning
The central figures—a woman in a white dress with a black shawl and a man in a red jacket and white breeches—suggest a moment of personal interaction, perhaps hinting at a narrative of disrupted courtship or social tension, symbolized by the fractured fan she grasps.
Technique & Style
Bonnet employed the color stipple method, building the image through countless tiny colored dots that blend at a distance to render subtle tones and textures. This meticulous approach aligns the piece with Baroque sensibilities, particularly its emphasis on chiaroscuro and emotive detail.
Context
Created in the mid‑eighteenth century, the print reflects the lingering influence of the Baroque period in French visual culture, even as Rococo aesthetics were beginning to emerge. The work’s domestic subject matter and refined execution illustrate the era’s fascination with everyday elegance.
Artist & collection
