Decorated Fans
early 17th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1897.93-94
Tags
About this artwork
Folding screens mounted with scattered fans, each painted on a piece of separate paper, were popular in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, and their production continued into modern times. These screens were appreciated for displaying together a variety of small paintings in an attractive arrangement to suggest the image of fans floating through the air or on water.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...