Chardin The Breath of the Moment

Used book in very good condition

A young Russian, Anton Pavlovitch Levitzky, was sent to Paris by Empress Catherine II to bring back a painting commissioned from Chardin, thanks to his friend Diderot. Arriving in January 1767, he extended his stay for a year. Indeed, Chardin painted slowly, one painting at a time, and had to respond to numerous official commissions. Added to this was the heavy duty of "upholsterer" at the Academy, which consisted of organizing, every two years, the hanging of the famous Salon du Louvre. Levitzky's frequent visits to Chardin allowed him to enter into the intimacy of the painter and the man. The young envoy discovered the places where he lived, the important role played by his wife, the anxiety mixed with incomprehension that he felt for his son Jean Pierre. Little by little, he entered the magical world of the painter.