The Castle Museum in Pszczyna

The exhibition “The cool breeze of the fans. European fans from 18th to 20th century”, organised by the Castle Museum in Pszczyna in cooperation with Kulturstiftung DessauWörlitz, is dedicated to fans and the role they played in the culture of Europe. The exhibition features several dozen fans, paintings, prints and photographs from both German and Polish collections. The fans on display, created between the 18th and 20th century, represent various types and styles, and introduce us to different designs, techniques, materials and decorations used throughout centuries. The exhibition explains the complex fan-making process, but also approaches the fan as a work of art. It provides us with the opportunity to become acquainted with practical applications of fans and their symbolic functions, and to understand their role in courtly manners and etiquette. A visitor to the exhibition coming from the contemporary world will be able to acquire a knowledge of the forgotten “language of the fan”, which came into existence at European courts.