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Following up on the recent post featuring House of Duvelleroy fans: quite by coincidence, one of my favorite blogs, It's About Time, just featured two days' worth of beautifully romantic paintings of ladies with fans. If these don't make the case for the return of fans as a graceful accessory, I don't know what will!
First up are ladies with Japanoisme fans by various 19th and 20th c. painters. And if you enjoyed seeing Madame X with her fan, there are a dozen more portraits by John Singer Sargent.
Please check them out, and enjoy.
Above: Mrs. Cecil Wade, by John Singer Sargent
One of us -- 
3 comments:
I love Sargent's work. There's something so romantic and sometimes heartbreaking about it. This picture above makes me thing wallflower right off the bat, although I imagine this picture is something altogether different.
And I love the story of Madame X. For a dress that seems tame to us today and caused such a scandal then to the point of what...her being cast out of society or something along those lines? Can't remember for sure.
Monica, I love Sargent's paintings, too. :)
Madame X seems like such a elegant painting to us today that it's hard to believe it caused such a fuss when it was first shown. The reasons were many - one strap was originally shown slipped from her shoulder, the painted pallor of the skin, the unflattering haughtiness of the sitter, and most esp. the seeming lack of a corset or petticoats - and both the sitter and the artist were soundly criticized. But Sargent always did regard it as one of his best paintings, and it remained in his possession for many years.
For the fascinating - and very readable - story of this painting, I recommend "Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Tale of Madame X" by Deborah Davis. :)
Hi
Your blog is great!!!
My name is Raoni Pontes, I'm a brazilian historian and alway stay visiting your blog. You have very good posts.
I have a hand fan collection too, you can see this collection at: http://pontescollection.blogspot.com/
Please visit.
Thanks very much
Kind Regards
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