Saint Cecilia

Saint Cecilia is one of the most recognisable religious works by Nicolas Poussin, the French painter who spent much of his career in Rome and is considered a leading figure of classicism. Christian tradition links Cecilia of Rome with music, and Poussin makes that association unmistakable: the saint sits before a keyboard instrument, probably a clavichord, in a scene arranged with an almost theatrical logic. In front of her, two angels hold up a musical score, so that music becomes the centre of the composition. Above her, a small cherub lifts a curtain that opens the space and frames the scene. In the background, beside a classical column, two more angels sing, and this arrangement in successive planes guides the eye with the orderly clarity typical of classicism.

The painting stands out for its assured drawing and the elegance of its overall design. The colour is especially refined. Red, yellow and blue predominate, and Poussin moves gently between lit and shadowed areas, avoiding abrupt contrasts and producing a calm surface. The saint's face recurs in other works from the same period or slightly earlier, suggesting that he reused models and formal solutions across his career.

The painting's history also contains uncertainties. For a time its authorship was questioned, and it was attributed to the French painter Charles Mellin, but it was later confirmed as Poussin's work, though he probably worked with assistants from his studio. Its exact date of execution is not known, and it is generally estimated at around 1635. It is believed to have passed to King Philip V, who gathered several works by Poussin, and it is recorded in the 1734 inventory of the Alcázar of Madrid. Today it is held in the Prado Museum.

Painter

Nicolas Poussin

Date

1635

Medium

oil paint, canvas

Dimensions

118 × 89 cm

Museum

Museo del Prado, Madrid

Movement

Classicism

Genre

religious art

Depicts

Saint Cecilia

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