Artwork
Eventail plié
Eventail plié is an unspecified work on paper by the Impressionist artist Unknown. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris.
About this work
Overview
The object is a hand‑held fan composed of a series of wooden ribs, finished in a brown hue and accented with gold dots, terminating in a black grip. Across the fan’s surface a delicate watercolor scene unfolds, presenting a modest narrative within a compact, portable format.
Subject & Meaning
The painted vignette depicts two infant angels, or cherubs, seated in a woven basket that appears to hover above a river. Surrounding them are an assortment of blossoms, birds in flight, and soft foliage, creating a pastoral tableau that blends celestial innocence with natural serenity.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor, the image balances fine, precise brushwork—evident in the cherubs’ minute hands and the birds’ defined feathers—with broader, atmospheric washes that render the pink blossoms and sky. The interplay of detailed line and diffused color produces a dreamy yet tangible visual effect.
Historical Context
Hand fans of this type were popular accessories for women in the nineteenth century, serving both practical cooling functions and decorative purposes. The integration of miniature paintings on fans reflects a broader trend of portable art objects that combined utility with personal aesthetic expression.
Provenance
No specific collector or maker is identified for this fan. Its materials, decorative motifs, and construction align with European fan‑making traditions of the 1800s, suggesting it originated within that period’s commercial or artisanal production networks.
Artist & collection
Museum
Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris
Continue through works from the same source collection.
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
