Les Attributs des arts
Jean Siméon Chardin·1765
Historical Context
The attributes of the arts—palette, brushes, plaster cast, and other artistic implements—compose this allegorical still life from 1765 at the Louvre. Chardin's Attributes paintings, produced for royal commissions and the Académie, elevated his still-life practice to the symbolic register demanded by official patronage. The objects of artistic creation become subjects worthy of the same serious attention Chardin brought to kitchen vessels and game.
Technical Analysis
The artistic implements are arranged with the same careful composition Chardin brings to all his still lifes, each object placed for maximum visual interest and symbolic clarity. The plaster cast introduces sculptural form, while the palette and brushes reference painting itself. Chardin's handling of these diverse materials—plaster, wood, hair, oil paint—demonstrates his comprehensive command of surface rendering.
