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The Woman Drawing Water at the Cistern

The Woman Drawing Water at the Cistern

Artist: Jean-Siméon Chardin (French, 1699-1779)
Date: about 1733-1739
Dimensions:
15 5/8 x 12 1/2 in. (39.7 x 31.8 cm)
Medium: oil on canvas
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott
Object number: 2006.2
Label Text:
Because The Woman Drawing Water at the Cistern and The Washerwoman (see nearby) had been owned by a single family throughout most of their history, they are remarkably well preserved. Unlike many paintings of their age (nearly 300 years old), the canvases have never been relined—a process in which the painting is carefully transferred to a new canvas—and are still on their original stretchers. As a result, their paint surfaces are essentially untouched and maintain their vibrant brushstrokes and stunning color harmonies.

Though not original to the paintings, the French Louis XV carved oak and gilded frames from the early 1700s make a handsome and appropriate match for the canvases.

On view
In Collection(s)