Chardin was the pre-eminent still-life painter of his day and would go on to inspire Manet, Matisse and Cezanne. This masterpiece from the Rothschild family collection is offered in Paris on 12 June.

THE HEADLINES RECORD CHARDIN. A Jean Siméon Chardin still-life painting The Sliced Melon has sold to a European collector for a record $28.7 million, over its much lower estimate of 8 to 12 ...