Italian fan-leaf with view of Mt Vesuvius ca. 1780-1800 watercolor on vellum British Museum |
Italian fan-leaf with Mt Vesuvius at night ca. 1785-1800 watercolor and body-color on vellum British Museum |
There is a dedicated Fan Museum at Greenwich in London with thousands of preserved specimens gathered from the far corners of the world. Also in London at the British Museum there is a more modest collection of hand-painted fan-leaves (as seen here), some executed over printed guidelines and others composed free-hand.
Italian fan-leaf with cherubs released from a cage ca. 1770-1800 watercolor on chicken-skin British Museum |
Pietro Giacomo Palmieri Italian fan-leaf with drawing of a Tarantella ca. 1750-1800 ink on vellum British Museum |
British fan-leaf with representation of Autumn ca. 1760-90 watercolor on paper British Museum |
British fan-leaf with representation of the Judgment of Paris ca. 1760-90 watercolor on paper British Museum |
British fan-leaf with mother and baby ca. 1790-1820 hand-colored stipple-engraving on paper British Museum |
British fan-leaf with scene of apple picking ca. 1790-1820 hand-colored stipple-engraving on paper British Museum |
Spanish fan-leaf with royal wedding scene ca. 1764 watercolor on paper British Museum |
French fan-leaf with Commedia dell'arte scene ca. 1720-40 watercolor and body-color on vellum British Museum |
French fan-leaf with allegorical figure of Peace ca. 1750-70 watercolor on paper British Museum |
French fan with concealed Royalist imagery ca. 1793 gauze embroidered with sequins British Museum |
French fan half-closed to reveal Royalist imagery & message ca. 1793 gauze embroidered with sequins British Museum |
French fan-leaf after a painting of Venus and Aeneas by Nicolas Poussin ca. 1770-1820 hand-colored etching British Museum |
I am grateful to the British Museum for making available these excellent reproductions.