“Laundress” – one of the first genre paintings written by Chardin. Its customer was Antoine de La Roc, owner of the magazine “Mercure de France.” Simultaneously with the “Washerwoman” Chardin wrote for him “A woman pouring water from the tank.” Both paintings are now in the National Gallery in Stockholm.
In 1735, at an exhibition of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, the artist presented the audience these works together with two more similar scenes. The audience was delighted. Especially admired, of course, La Roque. He said: “These are real little masterpieces that paint the life of ordinary servants engaged in everyday household work.”
Two years later, the “washerwoman” was exhibited again, this time in the Salon, and again earned praise from the audience and the approval of academics. And La Roque published an article in his journal, drawing the reader’s attention to the change of direction in the work of Chardin. “Monsieur Chardin,” he wrote, “has long established himself as a painter who can skillfully depict animals – both living and dead – but we did not expect his talent to be so multifaceted.”
Did not like the picture only to the champions of classicism, who, again, found it “not quite, sublime.”
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