Triumph of Alexander
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1690-1700
This folding fan features a vellum leaf painted in watercolour and gouache, mounted on carved and pierced ivory sticks with carved ivory guard sticks. The guards and end sticks are decorated with silver piqué work forming patterns of tiny silver nails or dots, alongside mother-of-pearl. The fan measures 25.5 cm in height and opens to a width of 43 cm. It was produced by an unknown maker in Italy between 1690 and 1700.
The front of the leaf illustrates the Triumph of Alexander, depicting Alexander the Great's entry into Babylon in 331 BC. Alexander stands in a chariot drawn by an elephant draped in blue fabric, holding a sceptre surmounted by Victory and wearing a cobalt blue cloak with a plumed golden helmet. The composition includes horsemen, figures on foot carrying a large metallic urn on a stretcher, a perfume burner, a golden statue of Semiramis, and the terraces of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in the background. The reverse of the fan leaf is decorated with painted flowers.
The scene adapts Charles Le Brun’s composition from a cycle of paintings executed between 1661 and 1668, shifting the arrangement of figures to accommodate the curved semi-circular format of the fan leaf.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
From early in his reign, Louis XIV was identified with Alexander the Great and commissioned a series of monumental paintings on Alexander's history from Charles Le Brun. When Le Brun became director of the Gobelins tapestry manufactory in 1664, the paintings were translated into tapestries that were widely replicated across Europe. The imagery also spread to personal accessories such as fans, celebrating the French monarch's gloire. The adaptation on this fan incorporates elements associated with Louis's court, including the king's signature cobalt blue cloak.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Gouache on vellum, with carved and pierced ivory sticks, and carved ivory guards with silver piqué and mother-of-pearl
- Dimensions
- Height: 25.5 cm; Width (open): 43 cm
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Unknown
- Place recorded
- Italy
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Triumph of Alexander
- Museum object number
- 2276-1876
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.