The century illustrated monthly magazine . f was by nature a colorist, reveling in sun-shine. He was born in 1699, making his ap-pearance, as Charles La Blanc tells us, just asthe pompous art of Louis XIV. was disappear-ing, and the affected art of Louis XV. wascoming on, though he had no affinity with eitherstyle. Diderot wrote of him: He has no am wrong, he has his own; but since hehas a style, he must be false in certain circum-stances— yet Chardin is never false. It wasthis childlike following of nature, as it was givento Chardin to see nature, which made him anoriginal ge
The century illustrated monthly magazine . f was by nature a colorist, reveling in sun-shine. He was born in 1699, making his ap-pearance, as Charles La Blanc tells us, just asthe pompous art of Louis XIV. was disappear-ing, and the affected art of Louis XV. wascoming on, though he had no affinity with eitherstyle. Diderot wrote of him: He has no am wrong, he has his own; but since hehas a style, he must be false in certain circum-stances— yet Chardin is never false. It wasthis childlike following of nature, as it was givento Chardin to see nature, which made him anoriginal genius. His paintings at first were un-ambitious — still-life subjects painted with greatfidelity, and with a caressing touch which toldhow he delighted in their representation. Heafterward turned his attention to figure-paint-ings, painting scenes of domestic life with muchdelicacy of sentiment and honesty of genre painting, Le Benedicite, is represents a little girl with folded hands 272 THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE DAUPHIN, LOUIS XVII. PASTEL BY MME. V1GEE LE BRUN. repeating her grace before meat, while herhungry glance wanders slyly to the plateof steaming soup which her gentle motherholds ready for her upon the completion ofthe prayer. In all of the mothers whom he painted it issaid that a resemblance is traceable to his wife,Marguerite Pouget of Rouen. His portrait ofher, painted when he was seventy-seven, is oneof the treasures of the pastel room of theLouvre. Reiset says of this portrait, La Tourhimself never painted a better. The face is full of the beautiful lines of experience andthe ripest and richest coloring. It beams aswith an inner light, irradiating intelligence,benevolence, sweetness of disposition, ma-tronly grace and good sense, and a certainall-pervading motherliness, which makes usexclaim, as Diderot did before the pictures ofGreuze, One sees well that this man lovedhis wife. Chardin received moderate appreci-ation while he lived,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectamerica, bookyear1882
