Chardin's work had little in common with the Rococo painting that dominated French art in the 18th century. At a time when history painting was considered the supreme classification for public art, Chardin's subjects of choice were viewed as minor categories. He favored simple yet beautifully textured still lifes, and sensitively handled domestic interiors and genre paintings. Simple, even stark, paintings of common household items ("Still Life with a Smoker's Box") and an uncanny ability to portray children's innocence in an unsentimental manner ("Boy with a Top" ) nevertheless found an appreciative audience in his time, and account for his timeless appeal.