St Cecilia holding an organ, flanked by St Paul, St John the Evangelist, St Augustine and Mary Magdalen, musical angels above
Original title: St Cecilia holding an organ, flanked by St Paul, St John the Evangelist, St Augustine and Mary Magdalen, musical angels above
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1515–16 Marcantonio Raimondi made this engraving: Saint Cecilia carries an organ, four saints stand at either side, and music-making angels hover above. The sheet ranks among the important documents of Italian Renaissance printmaking.
Description
Cecilia occupies the middle, the organ in her hands, framed by Paul, John the Evangelist, Augustine and Mary Magdalene; all four wear traditional robes and heavenly crowns. Above the group four angels float with various instruments. The layout is symmetrical, the proportions and details carefully worked out in the manner typical of the Renaissance. Everything stays monochrome, the light spread evenly — a hallmark of engraving.
Context
Raimondi, a leading Italian engraver of the Renaissance, became known above all for reproductive prints after designs by artists such as Raphael. This sheet dates from his Roman years, when he worked closely with Raphael. Cecilia, patron saint of music, points to the growing interest in musical subjects in the visual art of the early sixteenth century.
Impact
A calm, solemn bearing in the figures and the symmetrical arrangement call up a dignified, devotional mood. The balanced composition and precise linework invite the viewer to meditate; the harmonious overall effect unfolds slowly.
Technique
For an engraving like this the design is cut into a copper plate and then printed on paper. Raimondi used fine parallel lines and cross-hatching to produce shading and a sense of volume. The even spread of light and the exact rendering of detail testify to the engraver's high craft.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)