The Beauty of Ordinary Things: A Unique Artistic Vision

The understated brilliance of Jean Siméon Chardin

Soap Bubbles (c.1733/34) by Jean Siméon Chardin. Oil on canvas. 93 × 74.6 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C, U.S. Image source NGA

Some artists depict the most explosive or awe-inspiring subjects in their art. They are drawn to the most impressive, gruesome or magnificent sides of life.

The 18th century painter Jean Siméon Chardin took the opposite approach.