Serinette Chardin - A painting of a woman reading a book

Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin (1699–1779) was an 18th-century French painter. He is considered a master of still life and is also noted for his genre paintings which depict kitchen maids, children, and domestic activities. Carefully balanced composition, soft diffusion of light, and granular impasto characterize his work. Chardin was born in Paris, the son of a cabinetmaker, and rarely left the city. He lived on the Left Bank near Saint-Sulpice until 1757, when Louis XV granted him a studio and living quarters in the Louvre.