The first section of the catalog is an essay by the curator of European painting and sculpture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In it, the history and significance of the three versions of Chardin's <i>Soap Bubbles</i> are discussed. The second section is composed of observations on Chardin's materials and techniques based on the Los Angeles version of <i>Soap Bubbles</i>. The author used x-radiography and cross-sectional analysis to examine the manner in which Chardin constructed his support and laid down his various paint layers. Pigment analysis was done using both the cross sections and x-ray diffraction. Comparisons are also made to the technique used in the other two versions of <i>Soap Bubbles</i>.