The Kitchen Maid (Chardin)

Chardin's pigments are granular, his palette earthy, and his handling is thick.^[5] The light of the painting has been described as subdued, with nothing being sudden or jarring. There is a superficial reference to Hollandish kitchens, and this is done only with respect to the props and predominantly brown coloring.^[6] The primary object of the painting is a young kitchen maid on a low chair, looking to the right of the viewer during what appears to be a pause from her task.^[5] The expression on the maid's face is one that is neither of sadness nor one of joy; picturing a woman that is focused on her work. The pictorial space is bounded, with a quality of contentment and timelessness.^[6] On the floor are assorted vegetables, some cooking pots, and a butcher's block. The block features a meat-cleaver with a spat of blood, bringing in the suggestion of violence to the purposed domestic reflection.^[5]

It is unknown whether Chardin had intended for there to be a message in the painting, or in any of his paintings. Despite portraying a servant helping in domestic tasks—described to be of a low social scale—the woman was still dressed well. In addition, the kitchen is kept in neat order; a sharp contrast to the portrayals of domestic servants in other paintings of the time. Nevertheless, the maid is still not a model of industry either, as the viewer in intended to speculate on what the maid is speculating in her moment of pause. It has been mentioned by critics that there is a sensuous quality in Chardin's execution, in design, and in the choice of his colors. The techniques of ambiguity and sense has been noted to be a common trait for many of Chardin's works.^[5]

Chardin first exhibited the painting along with five other works at the Salon of 1739 as La Ratisseuse de Navets (Woman scraping Turnips). When the painting was first submitted, it drew little attention from critics due to the success of his other painting: The Governess.^[6][5] Chardin painted at least three versions of the painting. The existing works are the Washington copy, signed and dated to 1738; another in Munich, signed and dated to 1746; a copy given by Count Rudolf von Rothenburg for Frederick II of Prussia, lost since 1918; and the fourth copy in the Netherlands, believed to be a studio copy. The existence of four copies of the painting attests to the success of the painting with some copies, such as the Washington copy, being at some point acquired by royals such as the Prince of Liechtenstein.^[5]

• Rosenberg, Pierre; Bruyant, Florence (2000). Chardin. London Royal Academy of Arts. ISBN 0-900946-83-0.
• Tsaneva, M. (2014). Chardin: 82 Paintings. Lulu. ISBN 978-1-312-00087-2.
• Bailey, C.B.; Conisbee, P.; Gaehtgens, T.W.; Canada, National Gallery of; (U.S.), National Gallery of Art; Gemäldegalerie (Berlin, Germany) (2003). The Age of Watteau, Chardin, and Fragonard: Masterpieces of French Genre Painting. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09946-1.