The Broken Fan

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection, where *The Broken Fan* (1787–93) captivates with its delicate charm. Created through a collaboration between painter Jean-Baptiste Huet I, renowned for his Rococo-inspired pastoral scenes and lively animal depictions, and engraver Louis Marin Bonnet, this print exemplifies the refined artistry of late 18th-century France. 12 13/16 × 9 13/16 inches, it was produced using the innovative stipple and wash manner—a technique where fine dots (stippling) build tonal gradations, enhanced by translucent washes for a soft, painterly glow mimicking watercolor or gouache. The title evokes a intimate portrait scene featuring men and women, likely capturing a moment of social interplay amid the opulent world of pre-Revolutionary Paris. A broken fan might symbolize flirtation, mishap, or fleeting fashion, reflecting the era's obsession with accessories as markers of status and courtship. Stipple engraving, perfected by Bonnet, allowed affordable reproductions of elite paintings, democratizing art for a growing bourgeois audience. Bequeathed by Ella Morris de Peyster in 1957, this work bridges Rococo elegance and emerging Neoclassicism, offering a glimpse into the cultural frivolities just before the French Revolution upended them. A testament to technical virtuosity, it invites you to linger on its nuanced textures and human warmth.