Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin

Jean Siméon Chardin ( November 2, 1699 Paris, † December 6, 1779 ibid ), also erroneously been called during his lifetime, Jean -Baptiste- Siméon Chardin, was the great individualist among the French painters of the 18th century. Through his still lifes and genre paintings, which are characterized by extraordinary clarity and humility, he became famous. He never traveled abroad to be inspired by ancient works. The perfection of the composition and the harmony of colors and shades were to him more than the choice of topic.

Life

Chardin was born in the bohemian district of Saint -Germain -des- Prés. His father was a master carpenter who created inter alia, billiard tables for the king. Jean was his eldest son. Then he should take over the operation, Chardin was trained as a carpenter. But early on he showed a talent for painting. His father sent him with 19 in the studio of Pierre -Jacques Cazes. The teaching methods there were little to creativity, further, there were no models and always same task: Copy stitches. He continued his artistic training with Noël- Nicolas Coypel. Coypel aroused the interest of still lifes, which he created in 1720 itself in large quantity at Chardin. Despite the doctrine in Cazes and Coypel Chardin remained largely self-taught.

Four years later ( 1724) he became a master in the Guild of St. Luke, probably at the instigation of his father. In the same year Chardin met on a dance Marguerite Saintard know. The marriage contract was placed on 6 May 1724 but the marriage postponed due to the uncertain financial situation Chardin. This he tried to improve in works by famous artists through the coloring of details. He also began his work on the "Exposition de la Jeunesse " issue. This exhibition, which took place on the Place Dauphine, promoted young artists. In 1728 he exhibited several works. These include the ' kitchen still life was with Ray, " which Nicolas de Largillière impressed. He put Chardin close then, to exhibit his paintings at the Royal Academy. Chardin did not trust the unexpected honor and presented the Academy Upper to the test by hanging his paintings in an inconspicuous place in one of the smaller rooms. Largillière they fell on one more time, he held but for works of a Flemish painter. After Chardin had been recognized as the painter of those works Largillière urged him to apply to the Academy. In September he was admitted as a painter of flowers, fruits and genre scenes in the Académie Royale.

1731, he was finally able to marry Marguerite Saintard in the church of Saint- Sulpice. The old marriage contract was replaced by a new one. According to this there was only a meager dowry for the marriage of people. Thus Chardin had to look for other sources of income, which he then found by Jean -Baptiste van Loo. Van Loo Chardin asked to participate in the restoration of the works of Francesco Primaticcio at Fontainebleau. Chardin was directed with his wife at his family's house in the Rue Princess in three rooms a. His studio was in the attic. The family fortune comes to genre scenes clearly expressed. Sure he sat frequently for his wife and his children, Jean- Pierre and Maguerite -Agnès model. The luck held until 1735 his wife died.

For the change of style Chardin, there is still no satisfactory explanation. Supposedly a sarcastic remark of the portrait painter Jacques -André -Joseph Camelot Aved with which Chardin sharing a studio, to be blamed for it. After Aved had turned down an order for 400 livres, Chardin asked him to reconsider his decision again, because after all is a lot of money. "That may be true if a portrait just as easy to make would be like a sausage ," Aved replied, alluding to the subject in Chardin's last work, which apparently was not without consequences. Shortly thereafter, Chardin turned to figure painting, created homely kitchen scenes and tasteful interiors. These works helped him gain great popularity. To reach an even larger audience, he let them stand in copper.

In addition to the bourgeoisie was also the principal nobility of Chardin's works. So was Louis XV. after a meeting in 1740 with his keen interest in his art, as well as the Swedish princess Luise Ulrike, who were two pictures of Drottningholm Palace in order after they had become aware at the Swedish embassy through images on it. Like many others had to wait a long time (one year) on the images the Princess. Chardin angered many customers due to its very slow way of working that many critics labeled as laziness. This of course means often had less income than expected. His financial situation improved through marriage to the 37 -year-old childless widow Marguerite Pouget. At the same time, his reputation grew at court and its public recognition. In 1743 he received the rank of Conseiller of the Academy. Some years later, he was responsible for the hanging of exhibits. 1752 the king put his house on the 500 livres fixed, 1755, he was Treasurer of the Academy, in 1757 he got a residence in the Louvre. Now his recognition was finally completed as a painter at the court. Many of the royal perks he owed Charles -Nicolas Cochin, the son of his engraver, the secretary of the Academy was. Meanwhile, good relations with the brother of Madame de Pompadour, the marquis de Marigny, Chardin brought a higher pension and other orders (for example, the decoration of Castle Choisy and Bellevue Palace ). Financially Chardin had now safe hands.

There were in the family dispute. Chardin's son Jean- Pierre was to be a history painter, but he lacked the talent for this. Shortly before the departure to the Académie de France à Rome, it came to a head with Chardin. Jean -Pierre wanted to erstreiten his mother, which would entitle him at full age the money. But Chardin was of the opinion that this money would be used to pay for the training Jean- Pierre. He ordered that his son signed a waiver, but this recanted, claiming that he had been forced to. Jean -Pierre was now a legal case against his father. But even this drastic measure brought no winner. It is not known whether the two have subsequently reconciled. On his return from Rome, Jean -Pierre was kidnapped by pirates. His fate remains a mystery.

At the age it was uncomfortable for Chardin: Gallstones ever caused him pain and his eyesight declined, so he started with the pastel painting. From 1770 his opponents took over important posts that had formerly occupied its patrons. So he got only a few public jobs, less pension, and the favor of the court was lower. Despite some recent successes, interest in Chardin's art had subsided. Only later, mid-19th century, there should be a renaissance, fueled by the Goncourt brothers and Marcel Proust, who wrote:

" From Chardin, we have learned that a pear as alive as a woman, that an ordinary clay pot is as beautiful as a gem. The painter has the divine equality of all things proclaims -. Against the Spirit, which they regarded, in the light which they beautified "

Work

Chardin is one of the most extraordinary artists of his time - and this is the same in many respects. He never felt it was important to study the art of antiquity and the Renaissance. This is probably the reason why he never left Paris. In addition, he was the only artist of his time, which remained without training in the academy - even if he regretted it later. But made ​​him something else to the unique artist he was. Chardin realized that art can also be based on the everyday life, it does not require any intellectual creation and mythological underpinnings. This is particularly evident in his still lifes, which are clearly influenced by Flemish painting, are very different from this though. So Chardin sought his subjects from their form, texture and color, but not to their symbolic content.

During the last twenty years he painted still life again. Critics suggested that he had exhausted his imagination. But Chardin was looking for the perfection of the technique and not for new objects. Chardin preferred to paint directly on the canvas. This was easier for him because he had the object in mind. In this painting it is not surprising that he made no sketches. He painted slowly and meticulously, every one of his pictures was a result of several days of deliberations. At this speed, he managed a maximum of two images per month.

His still lifes are classic " natures mortes ", where he strictly and cautiously at the same time paying attention to the internal balance of the composition and insignificant details neglected. Apart from a few large-scale paintings with plenty equipped buffets he not presented prey as trophies in baroque lush style: animals ( rabbits, poultry, etc.) are presented to the viewer to almost reverent way, just in the quiet hour before they cooked in the kitchen be. Chardin's pictures show the simple things of everyday life and work undramatic, but seriously. Even in his genre paintings he exhibited everyday operations is: the game sunken children, kitchen and laundry scenes, etc. Many of his pictures are of harmonious perfection and pristine simplicity. This comes his distinctive, unobtrusive color: in mild light creates a floating balance between soft and sensual nuances flowering.

The primer of his paintings consisted of a thin layer of oil paint, a mixture of white lead and red-brown. Thus he produced a dark background. Then he wore dark, then halftones and finally the light tones. Had he the right Tonharmonie found, he gave the colors to it. And here again he created a balance between bright and dark spots. He brought objects through color with each other. Through his careful explanations Chardin achieved a pleasing and natural effect. Was this picture finished, he painted over it again with the same colors. This technique led Diderot, Chardin as the first colorists of painting to describe.

Works (selection)

• Berlin, Gemäldegalerie

• Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg

• Frankfurt am Main, Städel Art Institute and Municipal Gallery

• Karlsruhe, Staatliche Kunsthalle

• Munich, Alte Pinakothek

• Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada

• Paris, Musée National du Louvre

• Florence, Uffizi Gallery

• St Petersburg, Hermitage Museum

• Toronto, Art Gallery of Ontario