1758
oil
canvas
From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Sarah Harding is a 1758 oil by John Astley, a Rococo painting work, held at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
This painting shows a young woman sitting by a harpsichord. She wears a blue and white floral dress with lace trim and holds a music book in her lap. Her dark hair is styled up, and she looks directly at the viewer. The woman's dress is intricately detailed, with flowers and leaves embroidered on the fabric. Her hands are poised over the music book, as if she is about to play a note. The harpsichord is partially visible to her left, with its keys and soundbox visible. The painting is rendered in oil paint, with a focus on capturing the textures and colors of the subject's clothing and surroundings. To learn more about the artist's use of light and shadow, look up the technique of chiaroscuro.
John Astley (24 June 1720– 14 November 1787) was an English portrait painter and amateur architect, known for his "patronage among a vast circle of fashion" as well as a fortune acquired through marriage.
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