Souvenir de la Bénédictine 

Curator: Oh, this is charming! "Souvenir de la Bénédictine," attributed to Louise Abbéma. Editor: It has this incredibly wistful quality, doesn't it? Like a daydream spun from old lace and the faintest aroma of liquor. So delicate, almost ephemeral. Curator: Well, consider its original function! As a handheld fan, it would have been a fashionable accessory. We should also think about how it positions Benedictine. Not just as a liqueur, but something that evokes a moment of elegance. The architecture of the abbey is presented in a painterly background, so we have setting as well as narrative and function. Editor: Right! There's a theatricality, too. The way the figure leans slightly off-center, gesturing towards... is that the abbey? Or just life itself? It reminds me of those dreams where everything is just slightly out of focus, gorgeous but you can’t grasp the details. Curator: Abbéma worked extensively in portraying the leisure class, particularly women, within changing societal contexts. I'm always thinking about these portrayals and how they fit with societal expectations. Fans also played a role in how people saw and understood these portrayals. Editor: Absolutely! It's marketing, but so much more than that. It's almost painting with perfume; advertising but through the medium of fine art. You feel drawn into that dreamy little world where everything is just a bit prettier than real life, a little more sophisticated. I wish I could taste that Bénédictine. Curator: The Art Nouveau aesthetic and hints of Impressionism would appeal to elite taste during this period of increasing leisure consumption. One has to assume that this fan made Bénédictine all the more desirable among affluent consumers. Editor: Thinking about this, these kinds of objects tell these interesting parallel stories: on the one hand it’s product advertising, but on the other it provides the tools for an evocative emotional experience. Curator: Precisely. That’s really the key here, isn’t it? The painting as an exercise in how public image intersects with artistic identity, and how societal expectation also meets consumer desire. Editor: Exactly! Okay, well, I’m completely ready for an absinthe and a fan of my own. Curator: Me too, or, maybe Bénédictine in my case! A fascinating lens into societal tastes and marketing ingenuity!