 The subject of the painting, a middle class French family saying grace before a meal, is one of everyday bourgeois tranquillity—Chardin's field of expertise—with an uncharacteristic touch of sentimentality.Chardin, who had made his fame painting still life, had at this point in his career started also to include human figures in his works.He painted several versions of "Le Bénédicité", three of which were exhibited at the Salon, in 1740, 1746 and 1761.