A project to restore “Jar of Apricots”, a 1758 painting by Jean-Siméon Chardin (1699-1779), has just come to fruition thanks to the support of BNP Paribas (Canada) and the BNP Paribas Foundation. The project was part of the Foundation’s wide-ranging support for museums.

Chardin is one of the most celebrated French painters of the 18th century, known especially for his still life works, his ‘genre’ scenes, and his pastels. This particular painting is one of his more sober compositions, featuring fruit at the center of an oval frame. The real focus is on the reflections and interplay of light.

After a two-year period of restoration work, the masterpiece is now back on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Canada.