1730s
Oil on canvas, 38 x 43 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Chardin stands as a figure apart in French 18th-century painting. Neither the theatrics of Classicism nor the didacticism and frivolity of the Rococo are found in his work. Even the Dutch influence, evident throughout his oeuvre, has an unusual instance: Chardin's self-absorbed characters do not point toward any moral but rather invite the viewer to thoughtful reflection.
