Venice (Piazza San Marco)

Fan with carved, pierced, painted and gilt ivory sticks and guards decorated with figures (such as Pierrot, the sad clown) from Commedia dell'arte - a type of ‘street theatre’ that originated in seventeenth century Venice.

The double leaf is painted on the recto with a view of the Piazza San Marco in Venice in the manner of Canaletto.
On the right is depicted a group of performing acrobats, on the left a travelling theatre.

The verso is painted with a view of a Venetian lagoon.