17/18 October Barry Pearce

Diploma Lecture Series 2012
Absolutism to enlightenment: European art and culture 1665-1765
THE QUIET RAPTURE OF JEAN-SIMEON CHARDIN 1699-1779
Barry Pearce
17/18 October 2012
Lecture summary:
Still life painter Jean-Siméon Chardin, one of the most loved French artists of the 18th century, occupied a fascinating
place amongst the paradigms of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris. In an age that admired the
discursive function of history painting above all other genres, Chardin occupied the lowest echelon, purveying images of
animals and fruit, fur, feathers and kitchen utensils. Slowly, with a persistent concentration on the principle of truth to
nature, and a beautiful technique of painting that spoke its own language, he won respect, moving through a period of
humble domestic interiors until returning during the last decades of his career to his beloved subject of still life seen at
close range. However, eschewing the anecdotal flashiness of some of his more illustrious contemporaries, Chardin’s
pure, mute, secretive vision continued to be at odds with those who felt it lacked the reach of their lofty ideals. In this way
he unintentionally contributed to the undermining of an era that had succumbed too readily to the vanities of the Rococo.
Eventually, after half a century of neglect following his death in 1779, he was hailed by later generations as a heroic
predecessor to the modern era.
Suggested Readings:
Robert Hughes ‘Jean-Siméon Chardin’, Time, New York 1979, in Nothing if not critical London, Harper Collins 1990;
Philip Conisbee Chardin Oxford, Phaidon 1986; Pierre Rosenberg et al Chardin exhibition catalogue, London, Royal
Academy of Arts 2000.
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Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779
Self-portrait 1779, Louvre, Paris
Quotes
Francois Boucher 1703-70, An autumn pastoral 1749, Wallace Collection, London
Jean-Baptiste Greuze 1725-1805, The paralytic (fruits of a good education) 1763
Jean-Baptiste Greuze 1725-1805, The spoiled child 1765, Hermitage, St Petersburg
Jean-Honoré Fragonard 1732-1806, The swing 1766, Wallace Collection, London
Jean-Antoine Watteau 1684-1721, Plaisirs d’amour 1719, Gemaldegalerie, Dresden
Jean-Antoine Watteau 1684-1721, Embarkation to Cythera 1718
Jean-Antoine Watteau 1684-1721, Gersaint’s shop sign 1720
Jules de Goncourt 1830-70, Etching 1867 after Chardin’s sketch for The surgeon’s sign of c.1722
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779 A two-wheeled sedan c.1722, Nationalmuseum,
Stockholm
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The billiard party c1723, Musée Carnavalet, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Study for the billiard party c.1723, Nationalmuseum,
Stockholm
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Two rabbits with game bag and powder flask 1724-28
private collection
Detail
Detail
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The ray 1725-26, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The buffet 1728, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Basket of white and red grapes, with silver
goblet, bottles, peaches, plums and pear 1726-27, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Silver goblet, peach, white and red grapes and apple 1726-28,
private collection
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Carafe of wine, silver goblet, five cherries,
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two peaches, apricot and green apple c.1728, St Louis Art Museum, USA
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Basket of plums, bottle, glass of water and
cucumbers c.1728, Frick Collection, New York
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, A soup tureen with cat stalking partridge
and hare 1728-30, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Musical instruments and parrot 1732
private collection
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The fast-day meal 1731 and
The meat-day meal 1731, Louvre, Paris (pendants)
Detail
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Pitcher, two eggs, casserole, three herrings,
copper pot, slice of fish and jug c.1733, private collection
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Woman sealing a letter 1733
Schloss Charlottenberg, Berlin
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The washerwoman 1733, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The draughtsman c.1734, Kimbell Art Museum, Texas
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Tinned copper pot, pepper box, leek, three
eggs and casserole 1734-35, Detroit Museum of Arts (with duplicate of above) Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Pestle and mortar, bowl, two onions,
copper pot and knife 1734-35, Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The copper cistern c.1735, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Soap bubbles or Young man blowing
bubbles c.1734, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Portrait of the painter Joseph Aved 1734
Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The smoker’s case 1737, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Girl with shuttlecock 1737, private collection
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The house of cards 1737, Mellon Collection
above two as pendants
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, A cellar boy cleaning a large 1736-38
Hunterian Art Gallery, Glasgow
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The scullery-maid 1738, Hunterian Art Gallery, Glasgow
above two as pendants
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The return from the market 1738, National Gallery of
Canada, Ottawa
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The governess 1739, National Gallery of Canada,
Ottawa
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The diligent mother 1740, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Domestic pleasures 1745-46, National Museum,
Stockholm
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Seville orange, silver goblet, apples,
pear and two bottles c.1750, private collection
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Two rabbits, pheasant and Seville orange on stone ledge
1755, National Gallery of Art, Washington
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Bouquet of carnations, tuberoses and sweet peas
in white porcelain vase with blue decoration c.1755, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Jar of apricots 1758, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The cut melon 1760, private collection
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Attributes of civilian music 1767 and
Attributes of military music 1767, private collections (pendants)
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Three apples, two chestnuts, bowl and
silver goblet c.1768 and Three pears, walnuts, glass of wine and knife c.1768
Louvre, Paris (pendants)
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Basket of peaches with walnuts, knife and
glass of wine 1768, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Self portrait 1771, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Portrait of Madame Chardin 1775
Louvre, Paris
Vincent van Gogh 1853-90, Still-life with earthenware pot, bottle and clogs 1885
Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterloo
Margaret Olley 1923-2011, Apples 1980, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Arthur Boyd 1920-99,Large skate on grey background 1979, Bundanon Trust, Nowra
Ricky Swallow born 1974, Killing time 2003-4, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Self-portrait 1779, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The ray 1725-26, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The copper cistern c.1735, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, The smoker’s case 1737, Louvre, Paris
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Bouquet of carnations, tuberoses and
sweet peas in white porcelain vase with blue decoration c.1755, National Gallery of
Scotland, Edinburgh
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin 1699-1779, Basket of peaches with walnuts, knife and glass of wine 1768, Louvre, Paris