Fan — The Toilette of Venus, France, 1690-1710
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1690-1710
Fan in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number T.162-1920), made in France, dated 1690-1710. The museum's brief description reads: Folding fan, 1670-1710, French; paper painted with The Toilette of Venus. Museum description: Folding fan of vellum, with ivory sticks and guards, painted with The Toilette of Venus in gouache. The scene shows the goddess getting dressed and surrounded by attendants in a landscape beside a lake The museum records it as Gouache on vellum, with ivory sticks and guards, measuring Length 27.6 cm; Width 41.9 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
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
The toilette of Venus was a popular subject for fans in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The scene shows the goddess getting dressed and surrounded by attendants. In this example the artist has set the scene, rather improbably, in a landscape beside a lake. The Goddess of Love is attended by a group of putti and ladies wearing fashionable dress. The fan has a finely painted leaf but plain ivory sticks. It is an example of a good-quality fan of the period.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- vellum, ivory, gouache
- Dimensions
- Length 27.6 cm; Width 41.9 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Gouache on vellum, with ivory sticks and guards
- Place recorded
- France
Identification
- Museum object name
- Fan
- Museum object number
- T.162-1920
- Museum system number
- O87115
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.