Jean-Siméon Chardin's The Young Schoolmistress

The schoolmistress

In the 18th century, it was tradition in France for young children to be educated by their mothers. However, some philosophers, like John Locke, recommended young children be taught to read by an older sibling. 

When painting ‘The Young Schoolmistress’, it is likely that Chardin knew of a similar work at the Palais Royal in Paris - Caspar Netscher’s ‘A Lady teaching a Child to Read’ (now in our collection). In Netscher’s painting, a young girl is taught to read by her mother or a maid. The two paintings hold similarities, yet Chardin’s touches on a slightly different dynamic between the teacher and her place in society.

Though she commands a gentle authority, Chardin’s young schoolmistress is likely aged around 12 or 13. This is too young to be a governess, leading many to place her as an elder sister or cousin.  

In Chardin’s painting, she does not embody the image of a child. Instead, she adopts the role of an ‘ideal’ mother, educating her own young child, perhaps in preparation for when she herself will be a mother. In effect, both children in the painting are learning. 

In Enlightenment thinking, the ideal mother who had received a good education would contribute incomparably to the happiness of her family. And so, here, the young schoolmistress embodies the ideals of a young cultured lady.  

The student

In contrast, the younger child remains somewhat of a mystery. Even their age and gender is uncertain, though the child’s headdress is like that worn by boys in other works by Chardin. The topic of their lesson offers some clues to their age, however, Chardin’s distinctive method of keeping objects slightly out of focus in his paintings adds to this uncertainty.

The book the children are reading is partly hidden by a loose sheet of paper covered in blurred marks. Eagle-eyed art historians have concluded that they are most likely letters, and so this is probably a reading lesson. 

Educational practices in the 18th century suggested that reading should be taught before writing and counting. One author of the day recommended that children learn their ABCs from the age of two or three. Another said children should learn to read, write and speak properly from the age of three or four, at which age teaching should take place at home.  

Therefore, we might suppose that this is the age of our pupil, though the ambiguity surrounding their identity may be intentional. 

Painting the pair

Alongside the subject matter of his painting, Chardin’s technique may suggest how he wants these figures to be perceived. The girl is painted with crisp, intentional brushstrokes. She has accepted her place in society and is on her way to fitting seamlessly into it.

The small child, however, is painted with loose, nondescript brushstrokes. It’s almost as if they are a blank canvas and are not yet fully formed. This evokes Enlightenment thinking surrounding education, in which it was believed that the human mind is born as a ‘blank slate', with knowledge gained through learning and experience. In the small child’s slightly blurred eyes, perhaps this knowledge is forming.

Inspiring future artists

As Chardin was inspired by the artists of the past, he himself went on to inspire artists of the future. 

‘The Young Schoolmistress’ was a favourite painting of the artist Lucian Freud (1922-2011). In 1987, the National Gallery hosted an exhibition personally curated by Freud called ‘The Artist’s Eye’, in which he handpicked masterpieces from the Gallery’s collection for display alongside works of his own.  

Freud chose to feature Chardin’s painting in the exhibition, and placed it between two large paintings by John Constable. One art critic commented that this placement made Chardin’s painting look ‘slightly cheeky’. 

Our digital recreation of the 1987 exhibition gives audiences the chance to step back in time to see Freud’s choices and decide for themselves.