This is the painting that has inspired the name I chose for my Blog…. an oil painting by the French artist Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin dated 1735.
‘Lady taking Tea’ shows the artists’ wife stirring, rather thoughtfully, a cup of tea. I would so like to join her and have a chat. Tea drinking for me is usually a social affair, but perhaps she, Marguerite Saintard, was enjoying the warmth and comforting quality of a ritual that, even today, seems to be synonymous with ‘taking tea’.
Colour plays such an important part in my everyday life so I particularly love the table, which is a rich, gorgeous red. The teapot is sturdy and a good size…..allowing more than one cup, thankfully. The cup and saucer are a lovely blue and white design - I’ve seen similar in so many antique and ‘vintage’ shops, and make me wish I had a large dresser to show off a collection. What a great excuse for shopping!
In the eighteenth century it was rather fashionable, particularly for women, to be seen partaking of this fairly new pastime. Chardin has painted the woman wearing elegant clothing, even with the addition of a pretty head garment…..I’m not sure this style would be appropriate wear for the twenty-first century tea drinker, although I do know many of my friends would love to dress up for the day and ‘partake of tea’.
This is the painting that has inspired the name I chose for my Blog…. an oil painting by the French artist Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin dated 1735.
‘Lady taking Tea’ shows the artists’ wife stirring, rather thoughtfully, a cup of tea. I would so like to join her and have a chat. Tea drinking for me is usually a social affair, but perhaps she, Marguerite Saintard, was enjoying the warmth and comforting quality of a ritual that, even today, seems to be synonymous with ‘taking tea’.
Colour plays such an important part in my everyday life so I particularly love the table, which is a rich, gorgeous red. The teapot is sturdy and a good size…..allowing more than one cup, thankfully. The cup and saucer are a lovely blue and white design - I’ve seen similar in so many antique and ‘vintage’ shops, and make me wish I had a large dresser to show off a collection. What a great excuse for shopping!
In the eighteenth century it was rather fashionable, particularly for women, to be seen partaking of this fairly new pastime. Chardin has painted the woman wearing elegant clothing, even with the addition of a pretty head garment…..I’m not sure this style would be appropriate wear for the twenty-first century tea drinker, although I do know many of my friends would love to dress up for the day and ‘partake of tea’.
