Not currently on display at the V&A

Jeu de Piquet des différentes nations de l'Europe

Fan
1734 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Many printed fans commemorated the heroes and battles of European wars waged between 1700 and 1740. This fan is called ‘Jeu de Piquet des différentes nations de l’Europe’ ('A New Game of Piquet now in play among the different nations of Europe'). It satirises events surrounding the War of the Polish Succession (1733-1738). Although written in French, the misspellings and inaccuracies in the text indicate that the fan leaf was produced in England. The seven players of the game are the countries involved in the war: Sardinia, France, Spain, the Austrian Empire, Saxony, Russia and Poland. Britain, for once, managed to stay out of the fray. Her sentiments summed up on the fan mean in English: ‘I’m preparing though I don’t play, but if I am nettled I’ll take up the cards’.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleJeu de Piquet des différentes nations de l'Europe (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Etching on vellum, hand-coloured, with carved bone sticks
Brief description
Fan, Great Britain, 1734.
Physical description
Fan, called ‘Jeu de Piquet des différentes nations de l’Europe’ ('A New Game of Piquet now in play among the different nations of Europe'). It satirises events surrounding the War of the Polish Succession (1733-1738). Although written in French, the misspellings and inaccuracies in the text indicate that the fan leaf was produced in England. The seven players of the game are the countries involved in the war: Sardinia, France, Spain, the Austrian Empire, Saxony, Russia and Poland. Britain, for once, managed to stay out of the fray. Her sentiments summed up on the fan mean in English: ‘I’m preparing though I don’t play, but if I am nettled I’ll take up the cards’.
Subject depicted
Summary
Many printed fans commemorated the heroes and battles of European wars waged between 1700 and 1740. This fan is called ‘Jeu de Piquet des différentes nations de l’Europe’ ('A New Game of Piquet now in play among the different nations of Europe'). It satirises events surrounding the War of the Polish Succession (1733-1738). Although written in French, the misspellings and inaccuracies in the text indicate that the fan leaf was produced in England. The seven players of the game are the countries involved in the war: Sardinia, France, Spain, the Austrian Empire, Saxony, Russia and Poland. Britain, for once, managed to stay out of the fray. Her sentiments summed up on the fan mean in English: ‘I’m preparing though I don’t play, but if I am nettled I’ll take up the cards’.
Collection
Accession number
T.153-1978

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Record createdDecember 12, 2003
Record URL
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