This piece probably dates to the mid-1740s, but may have been written during the previous decade. It first appeared in a volume of 54 sonatas that Scarlatti gave to Queen Maria Barbara of Spain, in 1749. Apparently a keyboard virtuoso of sorts, she presumably performed most of the sonatas at court gatherings. This Sonata in G major would not have posed any great technical challenge to her. As far as interpretation, however, is concerned, the work is demanding, requiring an ability to play gracefully and melodiously, allowing the unhurried, beguiling music to lapse into a static, or too meticulous, mode. Marked Cantabile, this sonata presents a theme that slowly evolves from a barren opening of single notes to thicker, richer textures and a greater sense of warmth, clearly suggesting the kind of pre-Romanticism found in the second movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21. The music eventually becomes more animated while remaining within the confines of a deliberate tempo. This tendency is especially noticeable in the second part of the work, where Scarlatti develops his thematic material. This sonata typically has a duration of two-and-a-half to three minutes.

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