The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, has acquired Jean Siméon Chardin's still life *The Cut Melon* (1760) from the Rothschild family after a record-breaking auction sale at Christie's Paris in June 2024 fell through. The winning bidder, Italian real estate promoter Nanni Bassani Antivari, never paid, leading Christie's to sue him for compensation. The Rothschilds then sold the painting directly to the Kimbell, which had been the underbidder at auction. The work, which retains its original frame from its 1761 Salon debut, went on view at the museum on 22 May in the French still life gallery.
This acquisition matters because it fills a long-standing gap in the Kimbell's collection—director Eric Lee had long sought a major Chardin still life—and comes after the museum's previous failed attempt to buy another Chardin still life, which was blocked from export and acquired by the Louvre. The deal also highlights the volatility of the high-end Old Master market, where auction records can be set but sales can collapse if buyers default. The painting's provenance, including ownership by King Louis XV's goldsmith and the Rothschild family, adds historical significance, and its pairing with a companion work at the Art Gallery of Ontario underscores its art-historical importance.