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| Hand Fan Unknown Italian Maker 1670-1700 After a painting by LeBrun The Victoria & Albert Museum |
The vellum leaf of this Italian fan is painted with watercolors and illustrates the “Triumph of Alexander,” showing when Alexander the Great entered Babylon. Made between 1670 and 1700, the scene is taken from one of a set of five paintings which the famed painter Charles Le Brun created for French King Louis XIV.
The unknown fan painter has adapted the composition of the painting to cleverly fit the shape of the fan leaf—shifting some groups from the original to new positions for better balance. The ends of the ivory sticks are adorned with silver piqué work and both the sticks and guards are set with patterns of tiny silver nails. The guards are further decorated with mother-of-pearl. The reverse of the fan leaf is painted with flowers.
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