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Fan Design: Mice and Mirror
Henri-Charles Guérard is remembered both for his accurate delineation of objects d'art that were used as illustrations in periodicals such as the Gazette des Beaux-Arts and for his imagination and innovation in the graphic arts. He experimented with a wide range of techniques and subjects and was a pioneer in color printing. As a progressive artists, he was a friend of Edouard Manet's, posing for the artist's famous At the Night Café. Guérard's fan design was one of the many he executed in the 1870s and 80s. It is painted on gold ground over a brilliant blue silk and depicts two grey mice frolicking by a hand mirror entwined with columbine. The droll, almost grotesque subject matter, playfully asymmetrical composition, vivid coloring, and use of metallic pigments all demonstrate the pervasive influence of Japanese art in late nineteenth-century France. The fan form was popular among many French artists, especially Impressionists such as Pissarro and Degas; fan painting even had its own section at the 1879 Impressionist exhibit.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Frederico Gallery, Inc., New York, NY; Walters Art Museum by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 1998 | Before Monet: Landscape Painting in France and Impressionist Masters: Highlights from The Walters Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1983 | A Connoisseur's Portfolio: Nineteenth-century Drawings and Watercolors in the Walters Art Gallery. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 11/29/1977 | Treatment | re-framed |
| 2/18/1983 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Measurements
Overall H:11 1/4 x W: 22 7/16 in. (28.6 x 57 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase in memory of Nellie S. Norris, with funds provided by the Nellie S. Norris Fund, 1977
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.2549