Vouwwaaier met voorstelling van de ontmoeting tussen Ruth en Boas tijdens de korenoogst c. 1780 - 1795

Editor: Here we have an elegant folding fan from around 1780-1795. It seems the artwork is tempera on, I presume, paper or vellum. It depicts a scene with figures and harvest imagery, but its delicacy belies its functional purpose. What do you make of this decorative object? Curator: Well, beyond the delicate aesthetic, consider the social context. Fans like these were integral to 18th-century social rituals. It was a means of production inseparable from the societal elite. Each painted scene became a carefully considered performance between owner and viewer. The fan isn’t just a pretty object; it's labor, status, and even covert communication condensed. What story is this object telling, outside the obvious biblical reference? Editor: It feels a bit subversive, if I’m understanding correctly. The image itself feels almost secondary to the fan as a tool, as a medium of cultural production. So the image of Ruth and Boaz... it's less about the biblical narrative and more about the display of wealth, material, and a specific identity, right? Curator: Precisely! Look closely at the materials – ivory, tempera, paper. Each required specialized labour, from sourcing to production. And the choice of the Ruth and Boaz narrative is itself interesting – perhaps hinting at ideals of charity, but consumed within a framework of luxury and conspicuous consumption. How does the method by which these materials were combined shape the viewer's interpretation? Editor: It definitely reframes it for me. The combination of fine materials, biblical subject matter, and, really, the physical work put into its production really clashes. I now see how interwoven this object is within that social moment. Curator: Exactly. Analyzing art like this fan is about dismantling those boundaries and revealing the intricate relationships between making, meaning, and power. I appreciate how your insight and observations allowed us to reveal an unseen history behind this object. Editor: Absolutely! Thanks so much for helping me understand all these elements today! I'll never see fans the same way.