Cleveland Museum of Art

House of Cards

Date

c. 1737

Medium

engraving

Culture

France, 18th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Chardin's (1699-1779) quiet picture of a boy studiously balancing cards is one of several paintings in which he depicted children or adolescents absorbed in thoughtful play or study. The rhyme at the bottom of the print comments on the resemblance between childhood and adult realms: You are wrong to make fun of this adolescent And of his useless amusement Ready at first breeze to capsize We are bored even at the age we should be wise Out of our brains there often blow The most ridiculous châteaus.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.