Fan

Fernando Coustellier and Co.

ca. 1818 · Paper, ivory, silver · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

A rare survival celebrating Rossini's opera, The Barber of Seville, this French fan intentionally harkens to Spanish design and is inscribed with the title, character names, and even part of the score of the opera. The printer and publisher Fernando Coustellier, who has signed and dated the fan, belonged to a long-established Parisian family of fan-makers. Soon after making this fan, he moved premises around 1830 to Valencia. In this example, Coustellier's print has been colorfully hand-tinted.

Artist

Fernando Coustellier and Co.

Date

ca. 1818

Medium

Paper, ivory, silver

Culture

French, Paris

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Thomas Hunt, 1933