Saint Cecilia at the Organ – Oil on canvas

This superb 19th-century oil portrait, set in a richly moulded period gilt frame, depicts Saint Cecilia, patron saint of musicians and sacred music. The work, characterised by great neoclassical finesse, depicts the saint with her head delicately bowed, dressed in a gown of warm tones and a celestial veil held in place by a headdress adorned with pearls. Posing gracefully beside the pipes of a portable organ—her symbolic instrument—she captivates the viewer with the gentleness and serenity of her expression. The remarkable rendering of the drapery, the delicacy of the facial features and the subtle rendering of the light bear witness to the fine mastery of an academic painter of the Romantic era. This high-quality religious and allegorical painting is a refined collector’s piece, ideal for enhancing an elegant interior or a gallery specialising in 19th-century art.