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The fan in art


The fan, that accessory that we associate with our mother, our grandmother... and that we only take on those super hot summer days. But what if I told you that after this post you will no longer see the fan that way again? Since ancient times, the fan has been associated with women and femininity. It is a romantic and seductive fetish that after a period of obsolescence (this is what I mean by what we see as boring) has regained its relevance and freshness. In other words, apart from cooling us down when it's hot, it gives us a feminine and sexy touch. The Egyptians were the first to devise the fan, how modern they were! They wanted to create an accessory that would help them combat the heat of the desert and also maintain that air of mystery and grandeur so characteristic of the Egyptian world. And if you can't imagine it, you just have to visualize Cleopatra on her throne being fanned by her slaves. Ostrich feathers, luxurious fabrics and plant fibers were the most common materials to make a fan and be trendy.

The fan has evolved through history and different artistic movements. And this is what the fan looks like to us, a true work of art. And speaking of art, there is a work that we love in which we can see fans everywhere: The Lady with the Fans by Manet. Impressive, right? We love how dignified she is lying there in her best pose. This is Nina de Callias (1844-1884), a French writer who was a colleague of the painter. When Manet painted her, she was barely thirty years old and was running one of the most brilliant literary and artistic salons in Paris. Quite a business woman, wow. What Manet intended when placing the fans around his friend was to create a setting, to frame the diva in an ornate and ostentatious space, come on. The fans on the walls attempted to transport the viewer to the typical hodgepodge style of the Japanese mansion in which the artist lived. Curious, right? Well, like this one, you can find many other works in which the figure of the fan takes center stage. Take a look at them and choose your favorite style for the fall/winter 2020 season. And if you can't decide, with our Velvet fan you can have it all in one.