Unfolding Elegance: European Fans from the Taft Collection

Featuring sumptuous decoration and beautifully detailed paintings, the nine 18th-century fans in Unfolding Elegance represent the pinnacle of fan-making in Europe and a level of craftsmanship that was unrivaled in later periods. The involvement of several dozen artisans to produce one fan demonstrates the value of what is now a lost art form. Skilled craftspeople carved, pierced, and embellished the supports with a variety of precious materials, while painters chose subjects that emphasized storytelling, drama, and exuberance. Drawn from the Taft’s collection, these rare examples depict classical myths, pastoral scenes, and biblical stories—paintings only seen when a woman unfurled and delicately fluttered her fan, perhaps to cool the air or flirt with a suitor. In addition to exploring the rich history of the fan, Unfolding Elegance also celebrates the year-long conservation project that made it possible to share these fragile objects with the public.