[YeitSuda] A Painter Focusing on Extraordinary Scenes in Ordinary Life

At the June auction held at Christie's Paris, Jean-Baptiste-Sim?on Chardin (1699?1779)'s 'The Cut Melon' set a new record for the artist's highest price and for 18th-century French Old Masters. Regarded as one of the greatest still life painters, he was a unique figure who devoted himself to still life?a genre overlooked by all during an era that prized history paintings and portraits above all.

Jean Sim?on Chardin, The Cut Melon, 1760. 57 x 51.5cm
[Photo by Christie's]

Founded in the 17th century, the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture was an absolute authority overseeing royal art commissions and organizing Salon exhibitions. The Academy strictly managed the hierarchy of genres according to painting subjects. The highest rank was history painting, followed by portraiture, genre painting, landscape, and still life. History paintings, featuring ancient war heroes and Christian saints, represented art that demonstrated human exceptionalism and moral authority.

Portraits were also highly valued as depictions of the human form. In contrast, landscapes and still lifes, which imitated the beauty of nature, were classified as lowly decorative objects. These works, centered on nature under human dominion, were dismissed as secular paintings that failed to stimulate intellectual judgment. At the time, every artist dreamed of succeeding as a history painter, and the king’s painter?who enjoyed honors comparable to nobility?was also a history painter.

Chardin, too, worked as an apprentice in his teens under the era’s history painters Pierre-Jacques Cazes and No?l-Nicolas Coypel, then entered the Saint-Luc Academy to pursue becoming a history painter. However, he soon realized that this grand genre did not suit him. Instead, he focused on objects. Chardin applied the academic expressions he learned from studying history painting to still life, pioneering his own style.

His paintings, which masterfully depicted fruits, vegetables, pots, and bowls instead of mythological and biblical figures, became a sensation in the art world. His still lifes, featuring formal structure and pictorial harmony previously unseen, captivated not only the aristocracy but also King Louis XV himself. With rising popularity, his works were traded across Europe at prices higher than those of history paintings at the time. In 1757, Louis XV became his patron by providing him with a studio and residence in the Louvre Palace.

Jean-Sim?on Chardin, 'Self Portrait or Portrait of Chardin Wearing an Eyeshade' 1775, Pastel, 46 x 38 cm.
Photo by Louvre Museum

Three hundred years later, his popularity is even more fervent, and the prices of his works are soaring sharply. In 2022, Chardin’s 'Basket of Raspberries' was auctioned at Artcurial Paris with an estimated price of 15 million euros (approximately 22.3 billion KRW) but sold for 24.4 million euros (approximately 36 billion KRW). The buyer was an art dealer from New York, but the Louvre Museum suddenly intervened to halt the transaction. The Louvre’s determination to prevent the sale of a precious national painting abroad led to a legal hold. By requesting the government to designate the work as a national treasure, the Louvre secured up to two and a half years of transaction freeze and began fundraising. The museum sought help from corporations including LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, mobilized museum patron groups, and even launched crowdfunding, ultimately succeeding in acquiring the artwork.

As writer Alain de Botton remarked, “Great painters who depict everyday life help correct the vulgar notions of what the world should respect and honor.” Chardin focused on extraordinary scenes within ordinary life and achieved new accomplishments by challenging the entrenched art trends of his time. Like the eternally luscious melons and cantaloupes in his paintings, Chardin’s artistic spirit and ethos remain fresh enough to captivate audiences today.

Editor's NoteYeitsuda (藝It Suda) is a column that discusses issues and trends across the arts, including music, fine arts, and performances.