Jean Chardin

Jean Chardin was an artist who followed his own muse. At a time 18th century France when artists painted popular Rococo scenes of aristocrats in whimsical and make-believe settings, Chardin concentrated on simple but poignant domestic themes. He produced still life paintings using animals, fruit and household items; in the 1730’s he introduced items such as kitchen utensils and crockery. In his genre compositions he focused on working class people and their daily lives. He caught innocent moments in time: depicting housemaids at their tasks (The Caring Maid), young boys playing games (House of Cards and Boy with a Top) and children at their prayers.

The son of a cabinet maker, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin had grown up on the Left Bank and lived there for most of his life. His only change of residence was at the designation of King Louis XV, who granted him living quarters and his own studio on the premises of the Louvre in 1757. The combination of talent and luck was the only reason a young artist of that time could rise to the notice of the King, and Chardin seemed to have both. He was noticed in 1720, by French painter Jean-Baptiste van Loo, who saw and bought a painting which Chardin had displayed. Van Loo returned later to assist Chardin, most likely introducing him to painters who would accept him as an apprentice. In four short years Chardin rose high enough in artistic circles to earn a position as a master instructor at the Académie de Saint-Luc.

Chardin was not a very fast painter, producing an average of four paintings per year during his career. Although he created over 200 paintings altogether, he seemed to prefer to make several almost identical reproductions of each of the more popular pieces, and selling those quite easily. In the latter half of his life he spent much of his time working on arranging the Académie des Beaux-Arts exhibitions at the Paris Salon and acting as treasurer, counselor and secretary as part of his responsibilities with the organization. He was able to make a comfortable living from the pensions awarded to him by King Louis XV and also from his “royalties” which came from painters like P.-L. Sugurue and F.-B. Lépicié who sold reproductions and engravings of Chardin’s popular works.

He was a genuine influence on several great artists, including Henri Matisse, Paul Cezanne and Edouard Manet. He was admired by all, and each took from his paintings inspiration for some of their own compositions. Chardin is quoted as having once said, “Who said one paints with colors? One employs colors, but one paints with feeling.”[1] He began to lose his eyesight in the 1770’s and began at that time to paint with pastels, which are considered very valuable today. Chardin’s last painting was made in 1776 and his last exhibition was in 1779, but his works can be found in museums all around the world, beginning with his one-time home, the Louvre.

[1] ^ Johnson, Paul. Art: A New History, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003, p. 414.