Jean Baptiste Chardin

Happy Birthday Jean Baptiste Chardin!! French painter, born in 1699, Chardin specialized in still life and genre scenes. He was born in Paris and the son of a cabinetmaker. A member of the Royal Academy, he exhibited with them for 20 years. Comprised of simple items and modest interiors, his still life and genre scenes alike concentrate on realistic, truthful visions. Lady Taking Tea is one such example; strong compositional elements in the red chest, ladder-back chair, and contrasting stripes, counter-balanced with the woman’s billowy dress and her curls echoed in the wispy steam of the soft genteel scene.