Skip to main content

Video Loading

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 14

Unknown
Late 17th-Century Continental School, Extended Fan Leaf
c. 1690

$3,577.50List Price

About the Item

This late 17th-century Italian/French extended fan leaf depicts Nicolas Poussin’s ‘A Dance to the Music of Time’. Over several centuries, exquisite fan designs have graced the palms of numerous European high-born women - not merely for their cooling properties, but as status symbols and portable works of art. Catherine de Medici (1519-1589), a fan devotee, introduced these elegant accessories to the French court, where they were soon established as ‘de rigueur’. They served as a sophisticated addition to a lady's outfit while also hiding any unsightly features, such as sores or embarrassing blemishes. The rapid growth in fan popularity led to an influx of makers and, by the end of the 17th century, it was a booming industry. The most accomplished “éventaillistes”, as they were known in France, were highly sought after, and unquestionably rather expensive. Designs were numerous, with many based on earlier paintings, as we see here. The Guild of Fan Makers were barred from painting living subjects, as this was reserved for court painters, instead being restricted to allegory. The finest fans were so lovingly cherished by their owners that, upon falling into disrepair, they were extended with additional materials (e.g. extra vellum or paper) and framed. Known as ‘an extended fan leaf’, this remarkable survivor from 1690 is a fine example. The design is an interpretation of Nicolas Poussin’s ‘A Dance to the Music of Time’ - modified with additions and alterations, to suit the curved format. The painting itself was commissioned by Pope Clement IX, so the fan could be of Italian origin. However, numerous Italian craftsmen moved to France, bringing their designs with them. The Deputy Director at London’s Fan Museum confirmed that “it has once been a fan, has been dismantled and, subsequently made into a rectangular picture - known in the ‘fan world’ as an extended fan leaf. It is very probable that the material is [...] vellum and while no joins in the vellum are apparent, the fan leaf has been married seamlessly with a second piece of surrounding vellum.” And also that “it dates from the late 17th century, either French or Italian.” It remains a window into a world of decadence, wealth and majesty. A splendid piece. Housed in a good contemporary frame in the Baroque manner. Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed illegibly on the reverse. Provenance: Private collection, Germany

Creation Year:
c. 1690
Dimensions:
Height: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Width: 27 in (68.58 cm)
Medium:
Gouache,Wood Panel,Vellum
Movement & Style:
Baroque
Period:
Late 17th Century
Condition:
Cleaned. Revarnished. Various age-related areas of wear, which demonstrate its history. The paint layer is stable.
Gallery Location:
Cheltenham, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2328214660282

You May Also Like

Nesting Season (Whimsical Collage of Female Figure and Birds in the Forest)

Located in Hudson, NY

Nesting Season (Whimsical Collage of Female Figure and Birds in the Forest) by Olan Quattro 2025, gouache, paper, and acrylic on wood panel, 16 x 12 inches Olan Quattro's subtle and...

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Wood Panel

Nesting Season (Whimsical Collage of Female Figure and Birds in the Forest)

Olan Quattro
Nesting Season (Whimsical Collage of Female Figure and Birds in the Forest), 2025

$1,600

H 16 in W 12 in D 1 in

Brood (Collage Landscape of Chicken Farm and Reclining Female Figure)

Located in Hudson, NY

Brood (Collage Landscape of Chicken Farm and Reclining Female Figure) by Olan Quattro 2024, gouache, paper, and acrylic on wood panel, 18 x 24 inches Olan Quattro's subtle and sophi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Wood Panel

Brood (Collage Landscape of Chicken Farm and Reclining Female Figure)

Olan Quattro
Brood (Collage Landscape of Chicken Farm and Reclining Female Figure), 2024

$2,100

H 18 in W 24 in D 1 in

Summer Lawn (Elegant Collage of Three Female Figures Playing Croquet)

Located in Hudson, NY

Summer Lawn (Elegant Collage of Three Female Figures Playing Croquet) by Olan Quattro 2025, gouache, paper, and acrylic on wood panel, 24 x 18 inches Olan Quattro's subtle and sophi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Wood Panel

Summer Lawn (Elegant Collage of Three Female Figures Playing Croquet)

Olan Quattro
Summer Lawn (Elegant Collage of Three Female Figures Playing Croquet), 2025

$2,100

H 24 in W 18 in D 1 in

Float (Whimsical Landscape Collage of Swans and Figure Against Blue Sky)

Located in Hudson, NY

Float (Whimsical Landscape Collage of Swans and Figure Against Blue Sky) by Olan Quattro 2024, gouache, paper, and acrylic on wood panel, 24 x 36 inches Olan Quattro's subtle and so...

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Wood Panel

Float (Whimsical Landscape Collage of Swans and Figure Against Blue Sky)

Olan Quattro
Float (Whimsical Landscape Collage of Swans and Figure Against Blue Sky), 2024

$2,900

H 24 in W 36 in D 1 in

Meander (Female Figure in Quilted Dress with Collage Lake Landscape)

Located in Hudson, NY

Meander (Female Figure in Quilted Dress with Collage Lake Landscape) by Olan Quattro 2025, gouache, paper, and acrylic on wood panel, 24 x 18 inches Olan Quattro's subtle and sophis...

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Wood Panel

Meander (Female Figure in Quilted Dress with Collage Lake Landscape)

Olan Quattro
Meander (Female Figure in Quilted Dress with Collage Lake Landscape), 2025

$2,100

H 24 in W 18 in D 1 in

"Life Long Friends Rooted In History" (2024) by Deb Komitor, Original Painting

By Deb Komitor

Located in Denver, CO

"Life Long Friends Rooted In History" (2024) by Deb Komitor (United States) is a handmade landscape oil painting that is ready to hang. Deb Komitor was born and raised in Ohio and ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache, Wood Panel

"Life Long Friends Rooted In History" (2024) by Deb Komitor, Original Painting

Deb Komitor
"Life Long Friends Rooted In History" (2024) by Deb Komitor, Original Painting, 2024

$595

H 10 in W 10 in

Venetian Baroque religious figurative painting from the 17th century

Located in Florence, IT

This painting (oil on paper applied to wood panel, 18 x 12, 5 cm) is a valuable example of the production of small-format works, thus aimed at a private audience, which was very comm...

Category

Mid-17th Century Baroque Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil, Wood Panel

Venetian Baroque religious figurative painting from the 17th century

Venetian Baroque religious figurative painting from the 17th century, XVII Century

$1,384

H 7.09 in W 4.93 in

The Eagle Ladies V #1

By June Glasson

Located in Bozeman, MT

June Glasson is an artist, illustrator, and designer. She live in Laramie, WY. Her paintings have been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London, Nature Morte Gallery in B...

Category

2010s Mixed Media

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Wood Panel

The Eagle Ladies V #1

June Glasson
The Eagle Ladies V #1, 2019

$500

H 12 in Dm 6 in

The Eagle Ladies V #7

By June Glasson

Located in Bozeman, MT

June Glasson is an artist, illustrator, and designer. She live in Laramie, WY. Her paintings have been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London, Nature Morte Gallery in B...

Category

2010s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Wood Panel

The Eagle Ladies V #7

June Glasson
The Eagle Ladies V #7, 2019

$500

H 12 in W 6 in

The Eagle Ladies V #6

By June Glasson

Located in Bozeman, MT

June Glasson is an artist, illustrator, and designer. She live in Laramie, WY. Her paintings have been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London, Nature Morte Gallery in B...

Category

2010s Mixed Media

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Wood Panel

The Eagle Ladies V #6

June Glasson
The Eagle Ladies V #6, 2019

$500

H 12 in W 6 in

More From This Seller

Late 16th-Century Catalan School, Saint Magí & Saint Mauro

Located in Cheltenham, GB

This remarkable late 16th-century fragment depicts Saint Magí, the patron saint of Tarragona, and Saint Mauro, a Benedictine monk. Produced in around 1580, on the cusp of the Anglo-S...

Category

16th Century Figurative Paintings

Materials

Metal

Late 16th-Century Catalan School, Saint Magí & Saint Mauro

Late 16th-Century Catalan School, Saint Magí & Saint Mauro, c. 1580

$2,881

Mid-18th-Century Dutch School Landscape With Travellers, Distant View & Building

Located in Cheltenham, GB

This splendid mid-18th-century Dutch landscape painting depicts a view with travellers before distant rolling hills. Amid the long shadows of early evening, a travelling party rests...

Category

1750s Dutch School Landscape Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

Mid-18th-Century Dutch School Landscape With Travellers, Distant View & Building

Mid-18th-Century Dutch School Landscape With Travellers, Distant View & Building, c. 1750

$2,729

Johannes Philippus Galjaard, Figures On A Rural Track With Town Beyond

Located in Cheltenham, GB

This charming mid-19th-century oil painting by Dutch artist Johannes Philippus Galjaard (1812-1867) depicts several figures on a rural track with a town and distant hills beyond. Hai...

Category

1850s Dutch School Landscape Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

Johannes Philippus Galjaard, Figures On A Rural Track With Town Beyond

Johannes Philippus Galjaard
Johannes Philippus Galjaard, Figures On A Rural Track With Town Beyond, 1851

$2,123

Joszef Schmidt, After Guido Reni Mater Dolorosa, Antique Oil Painting

Located in Cheltenham, GB

This early 19th-century oil painting by Hungarian artist Joszef Schmidt (1810-1875) depicts the Mater Dolorosa. It’s after a work by Italian artist, Guido Reni (1575-1642). Schmidt w...

Category

Early 19th Century Italian School Figurative Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Joszef Schmidt, After Guido Reni Mater Dolorosa, Antique Oil Painting

Joszef Schmidt
Joszef Schmidt, After Guido Reni Mater Dolorosa, Antique Oil Painting, 1829

$2,578

Free Shipping

Early 18th-Century Russian Icon, Volga Masters (Circle), The Crucifixion

Located in Cheltenham, GB

This exquisite and exceedingly rare early 18th-century Russian Staurotek icon depicts The Crucifixion of Christ with an assemblage of saints, together with a 19th-century copper-cast...

Category

1720s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Early 18th-Century Russian Icon, Volga Masters (Circle), The Crucifixion

Early 18th-Century Russian Icon, Volga Masters (Circle), The Crucifixion, c. 1720

$2,881

Edward Charles Williams (Attributed), Wooded River Landscape With Boathouse

By Edward Charles Williams

Located in Cheltenham, GB

This mid-19th-century oil painting, attributed to English artist Edward Charles Williams (1807-1881), depicts a wooded river landscape with a boathouse, cottage, fishermen and figure...

Category

1850s Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Edward Charles Williams (Attributed), Wooded River Landscape With Boathouse

Edward Charles Williams (Attributed), Wooded River Landscape With Boathouse, c. 1850

$2,274

Recently Viewed

More Ways To Browse

Continental School Painting

Catherine De Medici

Olaosun Oluwapelumi

Reclining Woman Oil Painting

Red Head Painting

Anastasia Aureum

Antique Oil Paintings People

Can Can Dancers

Cartoon Character Paintings

Cleopatra Painting

Coffee Cup Painting

View All Popular Figurative Paintings Searches