Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin was an 18th-century French painter who is considered a master of the still life. His work had little in common with the Rococo paintings of nobles that dominated French art in his lifetime. At a time when history painting was considered the supreme classification for public art, Chardin's subjects of choice were viewed as minor categories, such as simple yet beautifully textured still lifes, sensitively handled domestic interiors and genre paintings.