| Poetry in Motion |
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| Written by Eva D.Grimaldi |
| Monday, 01 June 2009 15:57 |
 LONDON The first of its kind, an exhibition of fans from two private collections, on show at The Fan Museum from 9th June until 4th October 2009, will display fans together with complementary poems.The theme for the exhibition was inspired by the Chinese custom of combining poetry with painting, and fan paintings in particular, from as early as the 4th century. The unique art of the poets, painters and craftsmen included in this exhibition beautifully complement and enhance each other: an illustration on a fan is poetically translated whilst the poetry illustrates the fan. Poems inscribed by 12th century Chinese Emperors onto silk fans will be included in the exhibition.  A fan with ivory sticks carved and pierced with hunting scenes and, mounted with a paper leaf painted with mythological Gods. England, circa 1750. There are also more recent fans such as the one inscribed with a satirical poem by the existentialist Jean Cocteau, the fan painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and others by Miró and Pissarro. Other rare exhibits are the fan which once belonged to a Polynesian Chief and the brass fan of a priestess. Stunning fans made in the Fabergé workshop, intricately carved mother-of-pearl, ivory and tortoiseshell, as well as jewelled fans, will add to the splendour of the exhibition.  A fan with a painted, paper leaf most probably depicting King George II watching the premiere of The Chinese Festival, staged by David Garrick at the Drury Lane Theatre on 8th November 1755. The leaf is mounted on ivory sticks partially overlaid with etched mother of pearl and has jewelled guardsticks. England, 1755. Several of the fans have a royal provenance, such as the wedding fan worn by a Queen of Spain who married for love aged 17, became pregnant and died within a year of her marriage. Others, like the fan depicting the surrender of Highlanders to the Duke of Cumberland after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, commemorate historical events.  A propoganda fan relating to the First World War, with a paper leaf painted with a caricature of The Kaiser as a poodle and, The Crown Prince of Prussia begging with a musical box. The leaf is mounted on bone sticks painted with whips. France, circa 1916. The poems chosen for this remarkable exhibition range from the humorous to the poignant and reflect either the life of the original owner, the historical event or picture depicted on the fan, or indeed wider and sometimes concealed messages or meanings.  A fan with a cotton leaf painted and signed by Joan Miro in gouache and, mounted on wood sticks. Spain, circa 1980. Concurrent with the exhibition, The Fan Museum will be holding a competition with cash prizes totalling £1,000. Visitors will be provided with poems to match to the fans on display. The museum will donate the proceeds from the sale of these poems to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust. The intimate atmosphere of The Fan Museum provides the ideal setting for this unusual exhibition. Visitors to the exhibition, in one of London’s most fascinating museums, will also be able to escape the heat and bustle of the city in the museum’s cool, Japanese-style garden and admire the hand-painted murals in the Orangery. More information: www.fan-museum.org Bookmark us: 
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 June 2009 08:04 |