The Finding of Moses
Fan
ca. 1700-1725 (made)
ca. 1700-1725 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Brisé fans were popular through the late 17th century and early 18th. They had no fan leaf. They were made of sticks held together with a silk cord or ribbon. Some brisé fans accentuated the elaborate carving of the sticks. Others, like this example, were as pictorial as those made with a painted fan leaf. The fan painter has illustrated this fan with The Finding of Moses, using rich colours and composition associated with the Baroque style. Painting on brisé fans was more difficult than painting a fan leaf. The artist had to colour each individual stick carefully so that the whole composition connected properly when the fan was opened.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Finding of Moses (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour, gilt and varnish on ivory sticks, and ivory guards inlaid with mother-of-pearl |
| Brief description | Brise fan depicting the Finding of the baby Moses, French or Dutch, about 1700-25 |
| Physical description | Brise ivory fan. The main painted scene shows the finding of the baby Moses in the river by Pharaoh's daughter, with ladies in attendance, set in landscape. The gorge has a vignette with a scene probably depicting King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, surrounded by chinoiserie vessels. The reverse shows a classical landscape with temple and a couple hunting deer. Guards of ivory inlaid with mother-of-pearl, with chinoiserie motifs. White paste studs on the rivet. The sticks are joined at the tips by a ribbon covered with strips of painted paper. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Admiral Sir Robert and Lady Prendergast |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Brisé fans were popular through the late 17th century and early 18th. They had no fan leaf. They were made of sticks held together with a silk cord or ribbon. Some brisé fans accentuated the elaborate carving of the sticks. Others, like this example, were as pictorial as those made with a painted fan leaf. The fan painter has illustrated this fan with The Finding of Moses, using rich colours and composition associated with the Baroque style. Painting on brisé fans was more difficult than painting a fan leaf. The artist had to colour each individual stick carefully so that the whole composition connected properly when the fan was opened. |
| Bibliographic reference | Hart, A. & Taylor, E. Fans. London: V&A Publications, 1998, plate 43 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.75-1956 |
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| Record created | December 12, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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