Explore: James Duffield Harding

(1797 - 1863)

James Duffield Harding was born in Deptford, Kent; the son of an engraver and drawing-master. He was taught by his father, before studying under S. Prout and C. Pye. In 1818 he began exhibiting at the Society of Painters in Water Colours and he later became a member. He was one of the first to practice lithography. Harding travelled to Italy in 1824 and also toured France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. He was a passionate drawing-master and wrote instructional books. His Italian views on different papers (exhibited 1830) led to the range of ‘Harding papers’, manufactured by Whatman. In 1841 he published ‘The Park and the Forest’, a series of lithotints. He lived in St John’s Wood (1848-60), before moving to Barnes, where he died aged 66.