St Cecilia

The figure of Mary Magdalene stares directly at the viewer while holding her attribute, a dark metallic ointment jar. Behind her, Saint Augustine is shown in profile, wearing an intricately embroidered golden cope and holding a pastoral staff topped with a carved figure. This detail shows the two saints as witnesses to a celestial musical vision that occurs in the center of the full composition.

This work is a primary example of High Renaissance Neoplatonism, specifically illustrating Marsilio Ficino's theories on the 'divine frenzy' and the soul's ascent through the hierarchy of the senses. The transition from earthly music to the silent, celestial harmony of the spheres is a central theme in the philosophical circles of Raphael’s patrons.