Jean Baptiste Simeon. Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin: Cozy everyday scenes
The reader will remember that Luther and a number of other reformers repeatedly called for an ecumenical council. But at the early stage of the Reformation, the popes resisted this in every possible way, as they were afraid of the revival of the conciliar movement, whose representatives demanded recognition of the superiority of the authority of councils over the papal one. Therefore, only under Paul III, when disagreements between Protestants and Catholics became irreversible, did Rome take seriously the possibility of convening an ecumenical council. After long and difficult negotiations, it was decided that the cathedral would begin work in Trento (Latin Tridentum - Trident) in December 1545. Charles V insisted on holding the council on his territory, and it was for this reason that the choice fell on Trento, an imperial city in Northern Italy. But still not so many prelates took part in the work of the council - 31 people at the first session and 213 at the last.
Previously, councils usually dealt with a small number of controversial issues or a specific doctrine considered heretical. But this time the topics put forward for discussion by the Protestants were so important, and the church was in such need of reform, that the council did not limit itself to simply condemning Protestantism and considered it its duty not only to discuss all those points of the theological system that the Protestant Reformation called into question , but also to adopt a number of resolutions aimed at reforming the church. In addition, to achieve orthodox uniformity of doctrine, the council adopted measures regulating the life and ministry of the church.
The Council of Trent, considered the nineteenth ecumenical council by the Catholic Church, has had a complex history. Charles V insisted on holding it on his territory. When relations later became strained between Pope Paul III and the emperor, the pope moved the council to the papal states. But the emperor ordered his bishops to remain in Trento, and as a result, the work of the cathedral was suspended in 1547. It met again in 1551, but the next year there was a break again. In 1555 Paul IV became pope. He sought to continue the reform work begun by the cathedral, but, fearing undue influence of the Spaniards, he did not reopen it. Finally, in 1562, under the pontificate of the next Pope Pius IV, the council was convened for the last time and completed its work in 1563. Thus, although the council theoretically lasted from 1545 to 1563, it was inactive for most of that time.
The Council of Trent passed too many decrees to list here. As for reform measures, he ordered bishops to remain in their dioceses, condemned pluralism (holding several church positions at the same time), defined and formulated the duties of clergy, regulated such issues as the use of relics and indulgences, and ordered the creation of seminaries for preparation for ministry (before At this time there were no generally accepted rules or requirements for ordination). He also recommended the study of the works of Thomas Aquinas, making them the basis of the theological system of the Catholic Church. On the other hand, he adopted a number of decrees directed against Protestantism. In this regard, he declared that in doctrinal matters one must rely on the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, that tradition is as authoritative as Scripture, that there are seven sacraments, that the Mass is a genuine sacrifice that can be offered for the dead, that communion is under both species, that is, with the offering of bread and wine to the parishioners, it is not necessary that justification is based on good works due to the believer's union with grace, and so on.
Despite its complex history, the small number of prelates who participated in its work and the resistance of many monarchs who prevented the spread of the decisions it made in their lands, the Council of Trent laid the foundation of modern Catholicism. Now it was no longer the medieval church that Luther opposed, for it bore the stamp of the struggle against Protestantism. Over the next four centuries, this opposition reached such a degree that the Catholic Church even refused to acknowledge that many of the provisions of the Protestant Reformation, rejected by the Council of Trent, were rooted in Christian tradition. And only much later, in the 20th century, was the Catholic Church able to develop its own program of reform, which was not fundamentally a reaction to Protestantism.
Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin - great French artist of the 18th century. He became best known as an unsurpassed master of still life and genre painting. Chardin's work had a great influence on the rise of realism in the 18th century.
French painter Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin was born in 1699. He lived his entire life in Paris, in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter. The artist's teachers were Pierre Jacques Case (1676-1754) and Noël Nicolas Coypel (1690-1734). He became famous after the “Exhibition of Debutants” in 1728, where he presented several of his paintings. Later he was accepted into the Academy as a “depicter of flowers, fruits and genre scenes.” The artist's contemporaries, as well as connoisseurs of painting in subsequent years, always admired Chardin's ability to see the essence of objects and convey the full spectrum of colors and shades. This feature of the artist allowed him to create unusually realistic and deep canvases. His paintings are characterized by emotional subtlety, elaboration of details, clarity of image, harmony and richness of colors. The main characters of his portraits are ordinary people of the third estate who are busy with everyday affairs.
In 1728, Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin was admitted to the Paris Academy of Arts. Since 1737 he was a regular participant in the Paris Salons. In 1743 he became an adviser to the Academy of Arts, and in 1750 treasurer of the Academy. Since 1765, he was a member of the Rouen Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts. The great French artist died on December 6, 1779. Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin left behind a rich legacy. His paintings are in major museums around the world, including in St. Petersburg.
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Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin paintings with titles
Self-portrait 
Attributes of art and awards that correspond to them 
Buffet 
Governess 
Girl peeling vegetables 
Girl with a racket and shuttlecock 
Canary 
House of Cards II 
Sex boy in the cellar 
Prayer before lunch 
Soap bubbles 
Still life with attributes of the arts 
Still life with grapes and pomegranates 
Still life with game and hunting dog 
Laundress 
Peddler 
Diligent maid 
Draftsman 
Silver tureen 
Silver cup 
Hard working mother 
Chardin Jean-Baptiste Simeon, French painter (1699-1779). A famous master of still life and everyday scenes, one of the creators of a new portrait concept in European painting of the Age of Enlightenment. Studied with P.Zh. Kaza, N.N. Kuapel and J.B. Vanloo, worked in Paris. Chardin's early works were characterized by decorative showiness and plot entertainingness, but by the 1730s Chardin was developing his own style, distinguished by noble restraint, clarity and simplicity of style.
Self-portrait with a visor,
1775, Louvre Museum, Paris
Girl with a racket and shuttlecock
1740, Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Madame Chardin, 1775,
Louvre Museum, Paris
The genre works of the artist Chardin are imbued with subtle lyricism, an unobtrusive affirmation of the dignity of people of the “third estate” (“The Peddler”, 1739, Louvre, Paris, “Prayer before dinner”, 1744, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg); images of children ("Boy with a Top", 1738, Louvre, Paris) and portraits of adults (portrait of a wife, pastel, 1775, Louvre, Paris) are marked by vital spontaneity and sincerity of the atmosphere.
A brilliant master of still life, Chardin created compositions with a modest set of objects, rigor and thoughtfulness of construction, materiality and softness of the pictorial texture, creating a feeling of an organic connection between the world of things and human life. Such are, for example, the paintings - “Pipe and Jug”, circa 1760-1763, Louvre, Paris; "Still Life with Art Attributes", 1766, Hermitage, St. Petersburg. Chardin's paintings are characterized by the unity of silver-gray and brownish tones, a wealth of reflexes and subtle shades that harmonize the transitions from light to shadow.
Prayer before lunch
1740s, Louvre Museum
Young draftsman,
1737, Louvre Museum
Young teacher
1730s, Louvre Museum
In French art of the second half of the 18th century, the democratic direction received powerful development and its most significant artist was Chardin. Along with these new heroes in art, images of simple everyday things surrounding a person appeared in painting: household items - kitchen and tableware; food supplies - game, vegetables and fruits; as well as objects used by people of intellectual and artistic work - architects, artists, musicians, scientists.
Still life was Chardin's favorite genre. With his work, the artist established it in French art as an independent type of painting. Usually the set of objects in Chardin’s still lifes is small, but the artist deeply thinks through their combination and arrangement, subtly revealing their connection with the person who uses them. “Still Life with Art Attributes” is to some extent “autobiographical”: on a long table are depicted things related to the artist’s work. This is a plaster cast of the head of the god Mercury, several books, scrolls of sheets with engravings, a drawing board, and a protractor. Their arrangement is relaxed and free, but there is a strict pattern and harmony in it. Noting Chardin's gift for color, Diderot wrote: “Oh, Chardin! You don’t rub white, red and black paints on your palette: you take the very matter, the very air and the very light on the tip of your brush and put it on the canvas.” The still life is painted in light, light colors with a striking sense of the finest shades of color. The white head of Mercury, standing out against a light background, introduces a solemn note, lifts the world of objects above the everyday, giving it a proud and sublime sound.
Born with symbolic precision in the last year of the passing “great century,” Chardin began his career as an apprentice painting accessories in hunting scenes. But long before his death, which came to him at the age of eighty, Chardin gained universal respect as an artist-philosopher - unthinkable among painters of the 18th century. Chardin's posthumous fame surpassed his lifetime one. In the 19th century, still life, which, thanks to him, became a primary genre, continued to be a form of creativity, full of deep thought, contrary to its usual purpose - to remain simply painting as such. Chardin's still lifes immediately come to mind when we look at Cezanne's large still lifes, painted by him - a significant coincidence - also in the last year of the outgoing century, in 1899. These still lifes laid a key position in the main thrust of 20th century art - overcoming illusion, all illusoryness as such. Only after this can the impact of the potential contained in Chardin’s art be considered exhausted.
Painting by Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin "Young Teacher".
The plot of the picture is simple: a young girl teaches a child to read. Painted very truthfully, with directness and spontaneity, the picture will convey the inextricable emotional connection that unites both figures. The background is treated in a general way, without any special details; densely and evenly laid strokes create the impression of depth and stability. This is a silent painting, with a sense of endless time, similar to the work of Johannes Vermeer. Only the image of a key in one of the desk drawers disturbs the magical atmosphere of serenity and peace. Chardin was a leading master of genre painting and still life in 18th-century France. His simple, unsentimental compositions are distinguished by a depth of feeling; a calm, thoughtful color scheme testifies to keen observation and understanding of form. In our century, Chardin's work has regained popularity due to the almost abstract nature of the interpretation of forms. Many consider him the greatest master of genre painting of his time. A series of genre images by Chardin, dedicated to the theme of female hard work, and another, parallel series, telling about a life spent in entertainment, be it teenagers from noble families or their grandmothers, are one and the same reality, revealed in different forms. So, for example, in the painting called “The Peddler” by Chardin, a woman returns from the market, loaded more than she should, and stops for a minute to rest in the corridor between the living room and kitchen, a little thoughtful and sad; together with her, we seem to pause and calmly wait, and during this minute we have time to think about what we are looking at after all. Imbued with sympathy for this image, we come closer and peer into the picture. Before us is a grainy layer of paint, and this velvety color is both the real matter of life and a kind of ignition of light, softly enveloping the entire depicted environment. The color is all-encompassing and that's it. Another room opens through the doorway - the kitchen, and there, in a cool gray mosaic of spatial transitions, we see a maid with her special demeanor and slender posture, a copper vat for drinking water, and then another wall. Before us is both space itself and a certain scheme of spatial zones; color, acting as the material carrier of painting, again finds itself in the role of an intermediary between the means of art and life itself.
And at seventy-six, Chardin's sense of himself and his craft was both cheerful and modest; his skill remained unchanged, but at the same time it seemed to be hiding in the shadows. Cezanne's statement (dated June 27, 1904) regarding the freedom with which Chardin used planes to depict the nose may not be immediately understood, but it well reveals the closeness of the creative attitudes of these two masters. It may be objected that we approach Chardin as a modern artist, but let us quote his contemporary, the philosopher Denis Diderot, who described the painting “Brioche” (Dessert): “This is a man who really is a painter; he is a true colorist.... This kind of magic is beyond comprehension. Numerous layers of color are visible on the surface, one on top of the other, and their spatial effect comes from the depths..."
Such a deep understanding of artistic processes as Diderot demonstrates is unique in itself. He caught the moment of exhaustion of style, when the latter took a false direction and lost clarity of expression. Diderot also keenly understood that Chardin’s position “between nature and art,” despite its popularity in artistic circles, had not yet been appreciated in all its possibilities. Diderot foresaw that the truly philosophical meaning of Chardin's work was still waiting to be discovered: its deepest values belonged to the future of painting.
On November 2, 1699, Jean-Baptiste Chardin was born in the Saint-Germain quarter of Paris. His father was a woodcarver who performed complex artistic work. Even as a child, Jean-Baptiste began to show a penchant for drawing and make his first progress.
Education
At the beginning of his creative career, Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin worked in the workshops of famous Parisian artists. First, he entered the studio of Pierre Jacques Caza, a painter completely forgotten these days. There he made copies of paintings mainly on religious themes.
Then he became an apprentice to Noel Coypel, a master of the historical genre in painting. It was there that he began to make his first serious progress in depicting various household items, when he added small details and accessories to Coupel’s paintings. He carried out his work so accurately and meticulously that in the end these details began to look much better than the whole picture. Coipel realized that a real master had grown from an apprentice.
First exhibition
In 1728, an exhibition of debutant artists was held on the Dauphine Square in Paris, at which Jean-Baptiste Chardin decided to exhibit his paintings for the first time. Among them were "Scat" and "Buffet", which were painted with such skill that they could easily be equated with the masters of the 17th century. It is not surprising that they created a real sensation.
At that exhibition he was noticed by one of the members of the Royal Academy of Arts. And in the same year, Chardin was admitted to the Academy as an artist depicting fruits and everyday scenes. It is curious that only more mature and experienced masters recognized by society could receive membership in the Academy. But Chardin was only 28 at that time and was practically unknown to the public.
Still lifes
In those days, still life was not popular and was classified as a “lower” genre. The dominant positions were occupied by historical and mythological subjects. Despite this, Jean-Baptiste Chardin devoted most of his creative activity to still lifes. And he did it with such love for detail that he attracted more and more attention to this genre.
Chardin, like the best Dutch masters, in his still lifes knew how to convey the charm of simple household items that surround any person. Be it jugs, pots, tubs, water barrels, fruits and vegetables, sometimes, attributes of arts and sciences. The master's still lifes are not distinguished by pomp and abundance of things. All items are modest and not conspicuous, but fit perfectly and harmoniously with each other.
Painting techniques and new subjects
Jean-Baptiste Chardin saw and perceived color in a special way. With many small strokes, he tried to convey all the subtle shades of the subject. Silver and brown tones dominate his paintings. Objects on his canvases are illuminated by rays of soft light.
A contemporary and compatriot of the painter, the philosopher-educator believed that the master had a special style of painting. If you look at Chardin's paintings from a close distance, you can see only a chaotic mosaic of multi-colored strokes and strokes. He achieved the desired shades not simply by mixing the desired colors on the palette. He applied paint to the canvas in small strokes of certain colors, which merged into a single whole if you moved away from the painting at a sufficient distance. The result was an optical effect of mixing colors, and the complex shade desired by the artist was formed. Thus, Chardin seemed to be weaving the canvas of a painting with a brush.
Diderot admired his ability to convey the materiality of objects with paint. He wrote enthusiastic lines about this: “Oh, Chardin, these are not white, black and red paints that you rub on a palette, but the very essence of objects; you take air and light at the tip of your brush and apply it to the canvas!”
In the thirties, a new round in Chardin's work began. Continuing to follow the Dutch masters, he turns to genre painting. The artist began to depict the daily life of the French third estate, which included all groups of the population except the privileged. His paintings “Lady Sealing a Letter”, “Laundress”, “Woman Peeling Vegetables”, “Returning from the Market”, “Hardworking Mother” date back to that time. These scenes are recognized as some of the best in genre painting.
Personal life
In 1731, the painter decides to marry Margarita Sentar, the daughter of a merchant. First they have a son, and then a daughter. The son will later also become an artist, but the daughter suffers a tragic fate. At a young age, she dies along with Chardin's wife. This was a heavy blow for the artist. Ten years later he marries again. This time on the widow of the bourgeois Francoise Margarita Pouget. They have a child who soon dies.
In parallel with all this, Chardin continues his creative activity. The artist is popular, he has many orders, and engravings are made from his works. And since 1737, paintings by Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin have been regularly exhibited at the Paris Salons. He becomes an advisor and is then appointed its treasurer. Receives membership in the Rouen Academy of Sciences, Fine Arts and Letters.
Poet of everyday life
Jean-Baptiste Chardin is deservedly called the poet of home life, calm comfort, the warmth of family ties and the hearth. The artist’s favorite models were caring mothers, hardworking housewives, and playing children. For example, in the painting “The Laundress” the figure of a woman is snatched from the general dark background and literally glows with warmth. This effect is achieved thanks to the play of light and shadow.
All the characters in his paintings are busy with everyday activities. Washerwomen do laundry, mothers teach children, maids cook, peel vegetables, go grocery shopping, children blow bubbles. In some paintings you can see domestic cats. All the details of the works of Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin are imbued with love for the third estate. To his quiet and measured life, his worries and family values. The heroines of his paintings, despite their simple activities, are distinguished by their special grace and elegance.
Recent years
In the seventies, several more tragic events occurred in the life of the already middle-aged Chardin. His son disappears, his financial situation deteriorates greatly, and the artist is forced to sell his house. A long illness and old age also made themselves felt. Chardin decides to resign as treasurer of the Academy.
In recent years, the master has devoted special attention to two portraits painted in this technique - “Self-portrait with a green visor” and “Portrait of his wife.”
Despite the artist’s illness and age, in the last portraits one can feel the firmness of his hand and the ease of movement. Dynamic light and natural colors add vibrancy to the works.
Invaluable contribution
The work of the French artist greatly influenced the development of European art. Thanks to the still lifes of Jean-Baptiste Chardin, the genre itself went from unpopular and undervalued to one of the leading ones. His everyday scenes were distinguished by realism, warmth and comfort. That's why they were so popular among the common people. Among Chardin’s contemporaries there was not a woman who would not recognize herself, her life, and her children in his canvases. The homely lyricism and spontaneity sung by Chardin found a response in the hearts of the public.
No painter before him could boast of such a skillful ability to apply chiaroscuro. The light on the master’s canvases is felt almost physically. It seems that when you raise your hands to them, you can feel the warmth. Denis Diderot spoke of his works like this: “You don’t know which of the paintings to stop your gaze on, which one to choose! They are all perfect!”
Chardin was also a most skillful colorist. He could notice and record all reflexes that were subtle to the human eye. His friends called it nothing less than magic.
The biography of Jean-Baptiste Chardin is very rich and at the same time tragic. Having received recognition from his compatriots during his lifetime, in his old age he lived in virtual poverty. It's hard to believe, but the artist never left his native Paris.
Few artists will remember that he loved everything around him as much as Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin. His passionate admirer, the French philosopher Denis Diderot, spoke about the skill of this painter:
“Oh, Chardin, this is not the white, red and black paints that you rub on your palette, but the very essence of objects; you take air and light at the tip of your brush and apply it to the canvas!”
They say that Chardin never left Paris. He was born in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter in 1699, and lived here until his death.
Chardin's ability to paint led him to the workshop of Noël Coypel, where he performed all sorts of small artistic work: he helped the master depict details, accessories, and backgrounds on canvases. But this helped Chardin learn to notice little things and draw a wide variety of objects. Therefore, it is not surprising that he was attracted to the genre of still life.
Chardin began with images of vegetables, fruits, fruits and various household items. And he did it so skillfully that some of his works were even mistaken for paintings by prominent Dutch still life masters. But this did not flatter the young artist, and he continued to improve his skills.
Fame came to Chardin in 1728 after the “Exhibition of Debutants”, which took place in Paris at Place Dauphine. He presented a series of his paintings, among which was the still life “Scat”. The detailed carcass of an inhabitant of the deep sea suspended above the table is so impressive that you can smell the gutted fish. And this is the pinnacle of a still life painter’s talent.
An honorary member of the French Academy of Painting and Nicolas de Largilliere could not pass by the painting. Later, it was on his recommendation that Chardin also became a member of the Academy.
The artist did not limit himself to still life. He liked the quiet life and life of ordinary people, so he gradually came to the everyday genre. These works were distinguished by their simple and cozy content, but they still retained a craving for small details and accessories from still life. By painting the everyday life of the third estate in soft, expressive colors and a realistic manner, Chardin, without knowing it, contributed to the emergence of a new movement in art.
To capture a real moment in life - Chardin tried to accomplish this task in his work. One of his most famous paintings, “Prayer Before Dinner,” is not full of bright colors, but at the same time radiates goodness and peace.
It depicts a common plot of that time: a mother sits her playful daughters at the table and makes sure that the rosy-cheeked girls read a prayer. The plot takes place within a small room. From its decoration we understand that this is a middle-income family. White colors emphasize the spiritual purity of the family and the innocence of the girls. And soft brown shades add warmth to this small Parisian home.
In the painting “Boy with a Spinning Top,” Chardin showed the liveliness of his youthful character. The boy looked up from his boring textbooks to play with the spinning top – the details in the picture tell us about this. The child’s face is full of lively interest in what is happening, and the play of light and his lively facial expressions give the canvas spontaneity and truthfulness.
At a later stage of his work, Chardin showed himself to be an amazing portrait painter. The faces of his heroes almost always look dignified and peaceful. Chardin knew how to convey this confidence and calm to the audience. And this was very valuable, because it was precisely peace and stability that the inhabitants of France so lacked at the end of the 18th century.
The artist himself was a living example of a harmonious existence with his surroundings, which is clearly reflected in his self-portrait. On it we see: a man in a headscarf who calmly looks through his pince-nez at the viewer. In his gaze there is wisdom acquired over many years of creativity.
