Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin

Born in Paris in 1699, Jean Siméon Chardin trained as a painter at a time when historical and mythological scenes dominated the academy's esteem. He turned instead to what was in front of him: still lifes of game, fruit, and household objects, then domestic scenes of servants and children at work and play. His compositions were carefully balanced, his light softly diffused, his surfaces built up with granular impasto that gave weight to humble things. The work earned him admission to the Royal Academy in 1728 and a quiet, steady reputation that lasted his lifetime. He died in Paris in December 1779, having spent 80 years proving that attention - patient, exact, unhurried - was a form of mastery.