Artwork
Eventail plié
Eventail plié is an unspecified work on paper by the Baroque artist Unknown. It dates from 1740 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. The object is a hand‑folding fan featuring a painted vignette of a garden scene set beside a pond.
About this work
Overview
The object is a hand‑folding fan featuring a painted vignette of a garden scene set beside a pond. Central to the composition is a thatched‑roofed pavilion where three figures are seated at a low table, while other individuals are depicted strolling along the path or rowing a small boat. The image is framed by gold‑lined borders and a surrounding motif of stylised flowers.
Subject & Meaning
The miniature landscape evokes a leisurely outdoor pastime, suggesting a serene setting for contemplation or social interaction. The inclusion of both seated and mobile figures conveys a balance between stillness and movement, reflecting the cultural appreciation of garden leisure in the period’s aesthetic ideals.
Technique & Style
The fan employs soft, muted hues of pink, blue and green, applied with delicate brushwork that emphasizes atmosphere over detail. The gold border and floral edge pattern are rendered in fine line work, while the handle is carved in a lace‑like design, demonstrating skilled craftsmanship in both painting and woodwork.
History & Provenance
Hand‑folding fans of this type were popular portable accessories for personal cooling and artistic display. While the specific origin of this piece is not documented, its stylistic elements align with East Asian fan traditions that flourished from the late Ming through the Edo period, when such objects were both functional and decorative.
Context
Fans served as canvases for artists to experiment with miniature landscape and genre scenes, often reflecting contemporary tastes for naturalistic yet idealised garden settings. The combination of painted scenery and ornamental borders typifies the integration of fine art and utilitarian objects in domestic and courtly environments.
Legacy
Objects like this fan illustrate the convergence of visual art, craft, and daily life, offering insight into the aesthetic values and social practices surrounding leisure and personal adornment in historical East Asian cultures.
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
