alexandre, félix (maker), a renowned french designer and painter, was born in paris in 1823 and died in 1891. he rose to fame during the 1850s and became fan-maker to empress eugénie, the queen of the netherlands, and queen victoria. his exquisite fans are highly sought after by the european elite and are often given as gifts to mark special occasions. early life and career félix alexandre began his career painting and designing textiles and wallpaper. he joined the house of desrochers in 1849 as a fan painter specializing in flowers. after marrying m. desrochers' daughter, he took over the b…