Loading

Chardin was already famous by 1730, when he began to paint small, sparse still lifes of kitchen utensils. He often used the same elements in his compositions, varying slightly the position of the objects and adding or subtracting a utensil—always carefully placing each in relation to the rest to achieve a balanced design. Chardin was the contemporary of François Boucher (1703–1770) and he taught Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806), but his work is a contrast to theirs, representing the naturalistic tendency that persisted alongside the more fashionable lightness, grace, and playfulness of the Rococo. Chardin discovered a hidden poetry in even the most humble objects, bringing the viewer into an earthly world experienced with directness and simplicity.

Download this artwork (provided by The Cleveland Museum of Art).
Learn more about this artwork.

Details

  • Title: Kitchen Utensils with Leeks, Fish, and Eggs
  • Creator: Jean-Siméon Chardin (French, 1699–1779)
  • Date Created: c. 1734
  • Physical Dimensions: Framed: 52.5 x 60.5 x 7.5 cm (20 11/16 x 23 13/16 x 2 15/16 in.); Unframed: 32.2 x 40.7 cm (12 11/16 x 16 in.)
  • Provenance: Probably Baron Maurice Sigismund Sulzbach [1853-1922], Paris, France, Charlotte de Castellan, Comtesse de Forges, (David Carritt, Ltd., London, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1980.37
  • Medium: oil on canvas
  • Inscriptions: Signed lower right: "Chardin"
  • Department: European Painting and Sculpture
  • Culture: France, 18th century
  • Credit Line: Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund
  • Collection: P - French 18th Century
  • Accession Number: 1980.37

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Flash this QR Code to get the app
Google apps