As still-life painting or interior with figure, it has every quality known; every colour value is observed, the drawing is easy, never overdrawn, and still never slighted. Chardin's textures are ren dered as only a master could paint them; metal is metal and cloth is cloth; every edge, the despair of the average painter, is firm but well blended; light and air are over and around every figure or object. This is still-life painting, an answer to "What is still-life?" Later Still-life Artists.—Chardin died in 1779, and for nearly a century there were no still-life painters of note; there was prac tically no interest in nature morte. When Courbet started his bold and vigorous manner of painting, he was alone ; he painted what he saw and in a manner of his own invention. Whatever in nature looked worth painting he painted—figures, landscape, marines and still-life. His still-life canvases are done truthfully and spontane ously, and are of a flat, well-coloured technique. Several of his pictures have a stag in them, similar in motion to those of Snyders or Weenix, but with more weight and greater originality.
Manet was an artist who painted for excellence, and his still life work, of which he did a great deal, is always of a high order.
Simple and full of light, the canvas is never overfilled. Manet was also an individual who saw with his own eyes and painted in a flat manner, local colour and values being purposely slighted.
Antoine Vollon painted landscapes, but is better known for his still-life, in which he was very prolific. Most of his work was done in one sitting, and in a decorative, well-arranged, somewhat Dutch manner. His picture of "Fish" in the Luxembourg is a splendid piece of painting, with its dark shadows, almost monotone, and the wet and slimy fish in brilliant light. His reputation was wide spread while he was alive, but seems somewhat duller at present; however, it will likely come back again, as in the case of Chardin.
Bonvin and Fantin-Latour were men of well-merited reputation. Fantin-Latour's flower paintings are tastefully arranged and finely executed. Bonvin's work, simple and truthful, is based on Char din's methods.
Of the American painters, William M. Chase (1849-1916) painted fish, pots and brass kettles, and pictures of great brilliancy. Julian Alden Weir's flowers are noted for their exquisite delicacy and beauty. (See also PAINTING; FLOWER PAINTING.) (E. CN.)