Pleated fan
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Anonymous Donor
Accession Number
1952-161-223
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This pleated fan, attributed to the French artist Antoine Watteau and dated around 1740, represents an elegant example of 18th-century costume accessories. Watteau, celebrated for his lighthearted Rococo scenes of fêtes galantes, brought a sense of graceful movement and delicate detail to his work. Though created after his death in 1721, the piece reflects the refined tastes of the era, when such fans served both practical and decorative purposes in European high society. As part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s costume and accessories collection, this fan highlights the intersection ...