Boy with a Spinning-Top

🧒 Art for Kids 🎀 Rococo & Eighteenth-Century Elegance

Why it's great

A boy in a blue coat and a tricorn hat watches the top he's just set spinning, leaning over a table. Chardin painted the quiet moment with great sympathy. The soft colors are lovely. It's a quiet masterpiece.

👀 Look closer!

The top is spinning so fast it looks still. Can you tell what the boy is looking at?

Where to see it

📍 Louvre MuseumParis, France

Open in Maps ↗ About this museum →

Hang it on your wall

⬇ Hi-res download 3,277 × 2,864 px · 9.4 megapixels · prints up to about 11 × 10 inches at 300 dpi File page & license ↗

Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:

💵 Budget Etsy ↗ Posters and simple prints from small sellers, usually the lowest prices. 🖼️ Mid-range Fine Art America ↗ Good printing on paper, canvas or metal, made to order, with framing options. 🏛️ High-end Meisterdrucke ↗ Museum-grade giclée prints on archival paper or canvas, the closest to the real thing.

These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.

About the artist

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin

1699–1779 · born in Paris

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin was born in Paris, the son of a cabinet-maker. He became one of the greatest painters of still lifes and quiet scenes of everyday life in 1700s France. He worked slowly and carefully with a soft touch. He spent his entire life in Paris.