Chardin

In Short

This concise monograph traces the career of Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin, the eighteenth-century French painter who abandoned grand historical and mythological allegories to paint daily life and still-life compositions. Paul G. Konody outlines Chardin's rise through the Royal Academy, his technical breakthroughs in color and light, and his transition from quiet household genre scenes to bold late-life pastel portraits. The book has lasted because it provides a grounded, sympathetic evaluation of an artist whose honest middle-class vision, atmospheric depth, and meticulous craft set him apart from the theatrical extravagance of his contemporaries.

The Story

The narrative follows the steady career and artistic evolution of Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin within the eighteenth-century French art world. Born in Paris in 1699 to a cabinetmaker, Chardin lacks a classical education in literature and mythology. Rather than hindering him, this absence of academic lore directs his attention toward the physical world. He receives early training under Pierre Jacques Cazes, copying designs without live models, before assisting Noël Nicolas Coypel and Jean-Baptiste Van Loo. His first notable independent work—a fourteen-foot signboard depicting the aftermath of a duel outside a surgeon's shop—demonstrates his early mastery of crowd grouping and light.

In 1728, Chardin displays a collection of still-life paintings at the Place Dauphine, including The Skate and The Buffet. Encouraged by friends, he presents these works to the Royal Academy, where senior painters mistake them for the creations of a veteran Flemish master. He is immediately admitted as a full member. Despite this early recognition, Chardin earns modest fees and lives frugally. He marries Marguerite Sainctar in 1731, but loses both her and their young daughter within a few years, leaving him to raise his son, Pierre Jean-Baptiste.

By the mid-1730s, Chardin shifts his focus from still-life arrangements to domestic genre scenes portraying lower middle-class life—women engaged in household chores and children absorbed in play. Works like Grace before Meat and The Governess win wide popular acclaim and royal patronage across Europe, though Chardin continues to demand low prices and works deliberately slowly. In 1744, he marries Francoise-Marguerite Pouget, a practical widow whose management brings order to his finances. As his health wavers in the 1740s, he returns to still-life, later accepting crucial administrative duties as Treasurer of the Academy and organizer of the Salon exhibitions.

In his final decade, severe illness and failing eyesight prevent Chardin from working in oils. Refusing to retire, he adopts pastels and creates a striking series of self-portraits and studies. Though contemporary critics initially question his aggressive pastel strokes, these late works showcase an unflinching vigor. He remains active until his death in 1779, passing away just before the French Revolution reshapes the artistic landscape.

How It Unfolds

An unconventional start Lacking a classical education, young Chardin trains under Cazes and assists larger studio projects before painting a dynamic, realistic street scene as a surgeon's signboard. This early project proves his capacity for observing real life rather than classical myth.

Recognition at the Academy Exhibiting his early still-life canvases at the Place Dauphine, Chardin startles the establishment. Senior Academicians mistake his canvases for Flemish imports and immediately elect him to full membership in 1728.

Shift to domestic genre Moving past inanimate objects, Chardin begins capturing scenes of quiet middle-class homes. His paintings of children playing and women carrying out routine housework earn public admiration and international royal commissions.

Academy stewardship Chardin takes on heavy administrative roles, serving as Treasurer and Salon organizer. Alongside his second wife, he resolves the Academy's severe financial deficits and manages official exhibition hangings with fairness.

A final burst in pastel Failing health and poor eyesight force Chardin to abandon oil paint in his seventies. He turns to pastels, producing remarkably bold self-portraits that secure his artistic legacy right up to his death in 1779.

The People

• Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin: The central figure, an unpretentious, hard-working painter who seeks to capture truth, light, and human feeling in everyday subjects. He struggles with slow working methods, low pay, and late-life illness, yet maintains high standards and devotion to his craft until his death.
• Marguerite Sainctar: Chardin's first wife, whom he marries after years of waiting. She suffers from poor health and loses her modest fortune before their marriage, passing away only four years after their wedding.
• Francoise-Marguerite Pouget: Chardin's second wife, a sensible widow with practical business sense. She brings stability to his household and assists him in untangling the messy finances of the Royal Academy.
• Pierre Jean-Baptiste Chardin: Chardin's son, who aspires to be a painter. Overwhelmed by the difficulty of the art and lacking his father's talent, his artistic career falters, causing his father deep anxiety.
• M. de Largillière: A prominent Academician who initially mistakes Chardin's submitted paintings for Flemish masterpieces and enthusiastically sponsors his entry into the Royal Academy.

In Its Own Voice

"Chardin's art is living and sincere, with never a trace of affectation."

Konody summarizes the core appeal that distinguishes Chardin's quiet domestic canvases from the theatrical court paintings of his era.

"One uses colours, but one paints with feeling."

Chardin's own response to a colleague asking about color technique highlights his belief that true art requires empathy rather than mechanical skill.

"Art is an island of which I have only skirted the coast-line..."

Even at the height of his fame, Chardin remains deeply humble regarding his own achievements and the boundless nature of painting.

What It's Really About

The book explores the enduring value of artistic sincerity over fashionable trends. Konody argues that lasting art derives from the direct, sympathetic observation of contemporary life rather than the artificial repetition of historical and mythological formulas. By analyzing Chardin's handling of light, reflections, and common household items, the narrative demonstrates how deep human empathy can elevate simple subjects into masterworks. The text contrasts Chardin's quiet integrity and modest middle-class life with the flashy, court-sponsored excess of his contemporaries, showing how a single-minded commitment to craft creates art that outlasts shifting cultural tastes.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to art history enthusiasts and readers interested in the mechanics of artistic creation. Konody writes with clarity and straightforward appreciation, avoiding dense jargon while clearly explaining technical concepts like color reflections and tone values. The narrative moves at a steady pace, making the artist's quiet routine engaging through clear descriptions of his masterpieces and studio challenges.

Reading this historical account exposes the reader to nineteenth- and early twentieth-century monetary terms, localized spellings, and foreign artistic titles. It also reflects period assumptions regarding academic instruction and social class. However, these elements do not obscure the story. The book leaves the reader with a deep respect for an artist who found beauty in ordinary routines and remained dedicated to his vision through personal tragedy, financial hardship, and physical decline.