‘Allegory of Music’ depicts an elegant and beautiful young woman in a slight profile, wearing a loose fitting white dress with a low décolleté. Her mouth partially open, she appears to be singing as she gazes at the viewer with her captivating dark eyes. In her hands she loosely holds what appears to be a music sheet with lyrics or notes. The dark background highlights her smooth, porcelain skin and delicate curls.
The theme of allegory and music has been a very popular subject among many artists, especially in the 18th and 19th century in Europe. Francois Boucher, Carle Vanloo, Laurent de La Hyre are a few of the many who have depicted the allegory of music in a similar style, usually featuring a woman singing or holding a musical instrument. Often they also used the same title. Musical symbols, allegories and musical sounds have long accompanied some of the great themes of classical mythology just as they have served to illustrate religious subjects and articulate the growth of civil society.