fan painting

Fan painting is a traditional art form originating in China and Japan, likely by the 12th century. These paintings, created with ink or gouache on paper or silk, often feature vibrant depictions of nature, including animals, birds, flowers, and atmospheric landscapes, bringing the outdoors inside. Screens could be designed as individual panels or as a continuous flow of imagery. In Europe, Rococo boudoir screens and Art Nouveau designs were also influenced by this tradition.

Rigid fans, depicted in ancient art, and folding fans, with origins in East Asia, were also decorated with paintings. These often showcased seasonal landscapes, genre scenes, and motifs of birds, flowers, and animals, sometimes accompanied by poems. While fan painting was considered a "minor art" in Europe until the 19th century, many prominent Asian painters dedicated their talents to decorating fans, resulting in works of art that were not always intended for practical use.12