Who was Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin?

Not much is known about the early years of the life of Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin. Born on the Rue de Seine in Paris, Chardin spent his childhood accompanying his father, a maker of billiard tables, at his workshop.

What did Chardin do in 1752?

In 1752 Chardin was granted a pension of 500 livres by Louis XV. In 1756 Chardin returned to the subject of the still life. At the Salon of 1759 he exhibited nine paintings; it was the first Salon to be commented upon by Denis Diderot, who would prove to be a great admirer and public champion of Chardin’s work.

How did Chardin change the style of his painting?

Scenes such as The Washerwoman are exemplary of Chardin’s later turn towards domestic genre painting. After his admission to the Académie, Chardin began to expand his repertoire to include the human figure, which was at the time still considered to be an essential skill for successful painters.

What happened to Chardin’s son?

Despite the triumphs of his early and middle life, Chardin’s last years were clouded, both in his private life and in his career. His only son, Pierre-Jean, who had received the Grand Prix (prize to study art in Rome) of the academy in 1754, committed suicide in Venice in 1767.

When did Chardin become a member of the Académie des Sciences?

In 1765 he was unanimously elected associate member of the Académie des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts of Rouen, but there is no evidence that he left Paris to accept the honor. By 1770 Chardin was the ‘Premier peintre du roi’, and his pension of 1,400 livres was the highest in the Academy.

Why was Manet so fascinated by Chardin?

That Manet was fascinated by Chardin’s expert rendering of the collision between light and surface speaks to the latter’s resounding influence on modern painting well beyond his time.

What happened to Chardin’s son?

His works in pastels are now highly valued. In 1772 Chardin’s son, also a painter, drowned in Venice, a probable suicide. The artist’s last known oil painting was dated 1776; his final Salon participation was in 1779, and featured several pastel studies.