The House of Cards

Four versions of Chardin's card-building subject survive. This one was probably intended as a companion to Girl with a Shuttlecock. The boy constructs a fragile arrangement while the painter studies his hands and the objects around them. The work appeared at the Paris Salon of 1737.

The boy bends his profile toward the table. His gaze follows the fragile structure requiring precise hand movements.

Upright cards form a curved row. Their thin edges remain visible against the darker surface.

One hand holds a small group of cards above the tabletop. The painter chooses a moment before the next movement is complete.

Cards protrude from an open drawer. This supply connects the boy's activity with the construction of a real table.

A dark wall surrounds the absorbed figure. The sparse background keeps attention on face, hands, and cards.

By 1774 the painting belonged to Catherine II. Andrew Mellon acquired it during the Soviet Hermitage sales in 1931. The small domestic scene passed through an imperial collection before becoming part of the National Gallery's foundation.