Strawberry Basket Canasta de fresas 1760

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin painted "Strawberry Basket" in the 18th century, a period marked by aristocratic excess in France, which he deliberately countered. Chardin, son of a craftsman, distinguished himself by portraying the simple beauty of everyday life. His still life doesn't just show objects, but reveals the values of the emerging middle class of the time: honesty, simplicity, and hard work. The overflowing basket of strawberries, the glass of water, the peach, and the carnation are depicted without idealization. While aristocracy favored grand, historical, or mythological scenes, Chardin was more concerned with the tangible, immediate world around him. He once said, "One uses colors, but one paints with feeling." And indeed, this painting shows how the artist elevates humble subjects to something worthy of contemplation, quietly defying social norms. In "Strawberry Basket," Chardin invites us to find beauty in simplicity and to reflect on the values that shape our perception of the world around us, in this emotionally rich scene.