Vouwwaaier met drie medaillons waarin een scène bij een herberg(?), geflankeerd door putti met vogels c. 1775 - 1785

Editor: So, this object is a folding fan with three medallions painted on it. It's dated to around 1775-1785. The artist is anonymous, but the material is paint on… something. Looking at the fan, there’s a sense of delicacy. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: The symbolism speaks volumes, doesn't it? The central image presents, likely, a scene near an inn – a social hub. Flanking this are putti, those cherubic figures, seemingly playing with birds. Birds often symbolize the soul or freedom, even divine messengers, caught, in a sense, by earthly delights if we consider them 'pets.' What tensions do you see here, if any? Editor: I guess I hadn't thought of it as a tension, but you're right. The putti and birds enclosed in the medallions almost seem…controlled. Whereas the central image of the figures in the courtyard suggests bustling, public life. Curator: Precisely! Consider that this was a functional object, held, displayed, concealed. The fan itself becomes a performative piece, an instrument in courtship or conversation, maybe to encourage reflection. Think about the coy movements with it. How can something simultaneously reveal and conceal secrets? Editor: That's fascinating. So it's not just decoration, it's a tool with layers of hidden meanings! I never considered the actual object's movement being part of the statement. Curator: Exactly. The cultural memory embedded in such an object. Rococo celebrated leisure, but even in frivolity, there's often a moral undercurrent, a commentary on societal values expressed via symbolic elements, perhaps hidden in plain sight. What is luxury without that? Editor: I see what you mean. This little fan encapsulates a whole world of social interaction and subtle messaging. Thank you! Curator: It was my pleasure to shed light on some historical semiotics with you. Always seek beyond what initially meets the eye and ask why the artist made these choices!