Raffaello Sanzio, Santa Cecilia in estasi con i santi (1518 circa) 03

Saint Cecilia stands at the center, her gaze fixed on a celestial vision as she allows a portative organ to slip from her hands. At her feet lie various broken and discarded musical instruments, including a viola da gamba, flutes, and cymbals, representing the transience of earthly things. She is flanked by Saint Paul, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Augustine, and Mary Magdalene, who witness her spiritual ascent.

The work illustrates the Neoplatonic concept of 'divine frenzy' (furor divinus), particularly the musical frenzy described by Marsilio Ficino as a means for the soul to return to its divine origin. It contrasts the 'musica instrumentalis' (audible, earthly music) on the ground with the 'musica mundana' (the silent, cosmic harmony of the spheres) represented by the angelic choir.