1. Realistic Depiction of Everyday Life: Chardin's still lifes were not grand or extravagant. They depicted ordinary objects like food, utensils, and furniture, capturing the mundane details of daily life. This resonated with Diderot's belief in the value of everyday experience and the importance of observing the world around us.
2. Simplicity and Clarity: Chardin's compositions were characterized by their simplicity and clarity. He used a limited palette and focused on capturing the textures, forms, and lighting of his subjects. This simplicity appealed to Diderot's appreciation for order and reason.
3. Moral and Philosophical Depth: Diderot saw more than just objects in Chardin's paintings. He believed that Chardin's work offered a deeper insight into the human condition. The humble objects, he argued, reflected the "order" and "harmony" present in the universe, suggesting that even in the ordinary, there was a sense of beauty and meaning.
4. Artistic Craftsmanship: Diderot was also deeply impressed by Chardin's masterful technique. He praised the painter's meticulous attention to detail, the subtlety of his brushwork, and the way he captured light and shadow.
5. Emphasizing the "Natural" and "Simple": Diderot's writings on Chardin were part of a larger philosophical discourse that championed the "natural" and "simple" over the ornate and artificial. Chardin's paintings, with their focus on everyday objects and their simple beauty, perfectly embodied this ideal.
In summary, Diderot admired Chardin's still lifes for their realism, simplicity, moral and philosophical depth, artistic craftsmanship, and alignment with the Enlightenment's values of naturalness and simplicity.