Still Life with Pestle and Mortar, Pitcher and Copper Cauldron

Like the previous pair, this still life is an early work by the artist, whose first known compositions fall within this genre. Relatively little is known regarding Chardin’s life prior to 1718, the date when he began his training with Pierre-Jacques Cazes as an apprentice, after which he spent a brief period with Noël-Nicolas Coypel. In the 1720s Chardin began to enjoy his first successes, exhibit…