In recent months, there has been a lot of talk about the 18th century French painter Jean Simeon Chardin because his painting The Strawberry Basket, which sold for $26 million at auction in 2022, was finally acquired by the Louvre in February 2024. Now, another fruit by the painter will be served up for bids soon.
Le melon entamé (The Cut Melon), painted in 1760, will be presented at Christie's Paris on June 12 and could potentially set a new record. The masterpiece, estimated between €8-12 million (about $8.5-12.8 million), is undoubtedly one of the painter's most important paintings and therefore could far exceed its estimate.
Related: The Louvre Acquires Chardin's $26 Million Strawberry Basket
Although the still life is the master's favorite subject, this work is actually quite unique because he opted for an oval format, which is very rarely found in his body of work. Some experts suggest that this format was chosen to echo the round shape of the melon and "encapsulates all of Chardin’s magic: the balance of composition, light, color, and shape," according to Pierre Étienne, Christie’s International Director of Old Master paintings.
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The provenance makes the painting all the more remarkable. The Cut Melon was first presented at the Salon of the Academy of Paintings and Sculptures in 1761, alongside the famous Strawberry Basket (1761). It then belonged to Jacques Roettiers, a Parisian goldsmith who contributed to Chardin's recognition in art history by organizing several exhibitions dedicated to him. The painting then passed through the prestigious Marcille collection before being sold in 1875 to Nathaniel de Rothschild. It has remained in the Rothschild family collection until today.
The question we ask ourselves now is this: will this painting leave France or will the Louvre fight to keep this "national treasure" as it did for The Strawberry Basket?