May 2026 Fan of the Month - Woodland Gathering

We all must be looking forward to some warm summer months, and this fan painted with a woodland party might bring them nearer.  The fan is a French one dating to the early 18th Century and is of the type known as a brise fan.  It is composed of a carefully placed group of identically shaped ivory sticks: each stick is painted to be part of an overall scene which becomes visible when all of them are linked together.   The linking ribbon at the outer edge of the fan is of green silk.  Family and friends seem to be enjoying themselves, although the girl in the centre does not appreciate the attention of the jester dancing a jig behind her.  To the left, a woman in a cap is drawn to the group by a young man and to the right, companions sit at a table being laid with food.  The chinoiserie scene on the sticks below the painting is of companions at a table too.  The reverse is painted with lovers seated beside a lake watching people being rowed in a boat across the water.   

 

Often a scene is of this type is called a Fête Champêtre.  This term refers to an outdoor party, festival or gathering with music, dancing, entertainment or feasting that was popular in France in the 18th Century.