Fan - with the allegory of the four seasons

Textile and Costume Collection

Accession Nr.: 59.888.1
Date of production:
mid 18th century
Place of production: France (presumably)
Materials: bone; iron; paper
Techniques: woodcut
Dimensions:
height: 26,3 cm
width: 48 cm
The upper and bottom edges of the green and red leaf are embellished with a row of fruits and flowers alongside a net pattern. The leaf is divided perpendicularly into three fields by vines and wheat sheaves growing out of flowers. In these there are allegorical depictions of the seasons: on the left, among flowers, a man leaning on a spade embraces his spouse, who is holding flowers in her arms in the middle are harvesters, a little girl hurrying after ducklings and a couple gathering in the grapes on the right is a couple getting ready to skate. Despite changes, we can trace some of these figures to copper engravings by Nicholas IV de Larmessin (1684—1755) on the basis of (1738, Le Bl. 15-18) paintings by Nicholas Lancret. On the verso there is a simple flower motif. The sticks are unembellished. This is an example of inexpensive and very simply executed mass-produced work.

Literature

  • Maros Donka Szilvia: Bájos semmiségek. Az Iparművészeti Múzeum legyezőgyűjteménye (1700-1920). Balassi Kiadó - Iparművészeti Múzeum, Budapest, 2002. - Nr. 17.