Fan Bacchus and Venus. 3rd quarter of the 18th century Ivory, veneer, parchment, watercolour and gilding

The composition decorating this unique fan is inspired by Noël-Nicolas Coypel’s painting Venus, Bacchus and the Three Graces. The theme of Venus coming to see Bacchus is typical of the Rococo era, which valued pleasure. The goddess of beauty and love is accompanied by the Three Graces – Aglaea (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Joy) and Thalia (Abundance) – daughters of Jupiter, the king of the gods.
With the help of the motif, the owner of the fan could allude to the fact that the wine sparkling in the glasses was part of a festive mood in which love, joy and blossoming flowers predominated.

Noël-Nicolas Coypel (1690–1734) was a French painter who worked in Paris and was a representative of early Rococo.