'The Malbrouk Fan': M.302-1985

Current Location: In storage

Titles

'The Malbrouk Fan'

Maker(s)

Entities

Folding fan

Description

Double paper leaf decorated with etchings and wood block prints and painting in water-colours. Sticks and guards of dark brown wood (14+2). Steel rivet with bone (?) washers. Front: Three shaped panels printed with figure scenes: left, a lady saying farewell to Malbrouk, inscribed below 'Malbrouk sen-vat/ en Guerre' (verse 1 of the song on the reverse); right, a tower from which the lady observes a mounted general through a telescope, inscribed below 'Madame a sa tour monte/Si haut qu elle peut/monter.'(verse 4 of the song on the reverse); centre, the tomb of Malbrouk inscribed 'CI JIT/MALBROUK' with two officers on each side, inscribed below 'A l'entour de la Tombe,/Romarin l'en plante/Sur la plus haute branche,'Le Rossignol chante (verses 13 & 14 of the song on the reverse).' The background is seme with simplified sprigs and dots and round the edges there is a wavy rope and sprig border. Reverse: The music and nineteen, of the thirty-one, verses of 'La Morte de Mr d'Malbrouk'

Notes

History note: Colonel Leonard C. Messel (1872-1953); his daughter Anne, Countess of Rosse (1902-1992)

Legal notes

Purchased with a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and a gift from The Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bought (1985-01-28) by Countess of Rosse, Anne

Dating

18th Century, Late#
Louis XVI
Production date: circa AD 1781

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Sticks+guards composed of wood ( dark brown)
Leaf composed of paper ( double) watercolours
Washers composed of bone
Rivet composed of steel
Guards Length 28.3 cm