Le Chateau de carte (The House of Cards) ,

after 1737

During the late 1730s, Chardin interrupted his still-life painting to concentrate on modern figure subjects. Many of these were disseminated through reproductive prints—which in the words of the artist’s contemporary Voltaire offered "eternal life" to painters. These skillful examples treat as a pair two solitary and self-contained figures absorbed in moments of play and leisure. Echoing each other in format and composition, the canvases were probably conceived as pendants, although they were exhibited four years apart. Like many such prints after Chardin’s genre paintings, these are accompanied by verses, often written by friends of the artist. The inscription below The House of Cards warns grown men not to mock this boy’s precarious creation, as they themselves often build even more ridiculous castles in the air. The verses below the other print beseech the woman to warm her heart and sweeten her mood toward her suitor. Presumably Chardin acknowledged that the poems would add further interest to his enigmatic compositions and attract more sales.