1870
oil
canvas
From the collection of Tate Britain
The Duet is a 1870 oil by James Sant, depicting Sheet Music, held at Tate Britain.
This painting shows two young women reading sheet music together. They are dressed in 19th-century clothing and are looking down at the music, their heads close together. The woman on the left is wearing a dark dress and a pearl necklace, while the woman on the right is wearing a lighter-colored dress with a green ribbon in her hair. The background of the painting is dark, which helps to focus attention on the two women. The use of chiaroscuro in this painting creates a sense of depth and dimensionality, drawing the viewer's eye to the women's faces and the sheet music they are reading. To learn more about the technique of chiaroscuro, look up chiaroscuro.
James Sant (1820–1916) was one of the most eminent English painters of the Victorian era, specialising in portraiture and known particularly for images of aristocratic women and children, with a strong allegorical approach to childhood symbolism.
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