Design for a Fan 

Curator: Let's turn our attention to George Sheringham's "Design for a Fan," held in the Tate Collections, a watercolor and ink work on paper. Editor: There's a delicate melancholy to this, like a fading memory captured in teal and muted silver tones. It feels ephemeral, almost dreamlike. Curator: Indeed. Note how Sheringham orchestrates the composition around the fan's structure. The twin peacocks mirror each other, framing a central scene within a proscenium arch. Editor: I'm struck by the materiality of the fan itself. Think of the hand labor involved in its construction, the subtle hierarchy of its use in society. Curator: The semiotic weight of the peacock is undeniable; vanity, pride, even resurrection—layered meanings accumulate. Editor: And yet, isn't there a tension? The idealized imagery versus the physical reality—the labor, the materials, the consumerism inherent in such objects. Curator: A beautiful synthesis. The formal elegance underscores, rather than obscures, the deeper symbolic weight. Editor: I find myself more aware of the social and historical forces that shaped the object, and our perception of it.