Bought from the St James's, London dealers Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert for £100,000, it was acquired with a grant of £90,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, augmented by further donations totalling £10,000.
The fan, painted in gouache on vellum and mounted onto a grey mother of pearl monture (sticks and guards) depicts the artiste Little Dot Hetherington performing on stage at the Old Bedford Theatre, Camden. The spot-lit performer raising her face to the gods sings the song The boy that I love is up in the gallery - a subject copied from an earlier Sickert painting but slightly amended to suit the fan leaf shape.
The Dot Hetherington Fan, as it is known, was a gift to his friend and fellow Camden Town School painter Florence Pash (Mrs A.A. Humphrey) and descended in her family.
This fan is now on display at the Fan Museum but next year will be lent to the Tate Modern as part of their forthcoming Degas exhibition.
