Music
Historical Context
Music at the Norton Simon Museum personifies the art of music as a female figure, part of a long tradition of allegorical representations of the arts in European painting. Fragonard transforms the academic convention into a charming, sensuous image. The bravura brushwork—rapid, swirling strokes building luminous effects—was applied alla prima onto canvas primed with warm ochre grounds, a technique Fragonard developed after studying Tiepolo in Venice.
Technical Analysis
The figure and her musical instrument provide the compositional focus, rendered with warm tones and fluid brushwork. The allegorical subject is treated with Fragonard's characteristic lightness and grace.
