Artwork
Still Life with Eggs, Cheese, and a Pitcher
Still Life with Eggs, Cheese, and a Pitcher is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1750, this oil painting presents a modest arrangement of everyday objects—a brown earthenware pitcher, three white eggs, and a round cheese with a light‑brown rind—set upon a darkened tabletop. The composition is restrained, allowing the subtle textures and muted colors of the items to emerge against the somber background.
Subject & Meaning
The work exemplifies a quiet domestic scene, focusing on the simple materiality of kitchenware and foodstuffs. By isolating these common objects, the artist invites contemplation of their form and surface, reflecting an interest in the quiet dignity of ordinary life.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting employs a soft, diffused illumination that gently models the forms, while the limited palette emphasizes tonal harmony. The brown pitcher shows hints of red and yellow, adding depth, and the careful rendering of the cheese rind and egg shells demonstrates the artist’s meticulous attention to surface detail.
History & Provenance
The piece belongs to the oeuvre of Jean Siméon Chardin, a French painter active during the mid‑18th‑century Rococo era, noted for his still lifes and genre scenes. It is presently part of the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Siméon Chardin (French: ; November 2, 1699 – December 6, 1779) was an 18th-century French painter.
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