James Duffield Harding (1798 - December 4, 1863), English
landscape painter, was the son of an artist, and took to the same vocation at
an early age, although he had originally been destined for the law.
He was in the main a water-colour painter and a
lithographer, but he produced various oil-paintings both at the beginning and
towards the end of his career. He frequently contributed to the exhibitions of
the Water-Colour Society, of which he became an associate in 1821, and a full
member in 1822. He was also very largely engaged in teaching, and published
several books developing his views of art--amongst others:
The Tourist in Italy (1831)
The Tourist in France (1834)
The Park and the Forest (1841)
The Principles and the Practice of Art (1845)
Elementary Art (1846)
Scotland Delineated in a Series of Views (1847)
Lessons on Art (1849).
He died at Barnes on the 4th of December 1863. Harding was
noted for facility, sureness of hand, nicety of touch, and the various
qualities which go to make up an elegant, highly trained, and accomplished
sketcher from nature, and composer of picturesque landscape material; he was
particularly skilful in the treatment of foliage.