Raffaello Sanzio, Santa Cecilia in estasi con i santi (1518 circa) 04

The image shows a viola da gamba with snapped strings, a tambourine, a triangle, and various woodwind instruments scattered on the ground. These terrestrial tools are abandoned at the feet of the saints, rendered with careful attention to their material textures and state of disrepair. This symbolic heap represents the rejection of earthly music in favor of the divine harmony the saint perceives in her vision.

This depiction illustrates the Neoplatonic hierarchy of music as discussed by Marsilio Ficino and Boethius, specifically the transition from 'musica instrumentalis' (audible, man-made music) to 'musica mundana' (the silent, celestial harmony of the spheres). The broken strings signify the transience and imperfection of the material world compared to the eternal, spiritual music of the heavens.