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Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThe central figure, Saint Cecilia, holds a portable organ with pipes slipping from her hands as she experiences a divine vision of angels singing in the clouds. At her feet lie various broken and discarded musical instruments, including a viola da gamba and a tambourine. The surrounding saints engage in silent reflection, representing different paths of religious and philosophical contemplation.
This composition visualizes the Neoplatonic distinction between 'musica instrumentalis' (earthly music) and 'musica mundana' (the divine music of the spheres). It reflects Renaissance ideas, championed by thinkers like Marsilio Ficino, regarding the soul's ability to transcend material sensations to perceive higher spiritual harmonies.
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's theories on the 'Spiritus' and the power of music to elevate the soul to divine contemplation are central to the painting's meaning.
Boethius, De institutione musica
The work illustrates the Boethian hierarchy of music, where man-made instruments are inferior to the celestial harmony of the cosmos.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.