Artwork
St Cecily
St Cecily is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1685 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1685, the image titled St Cecily is attributed to the artist identified as 889_person and is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The monochrome photograph depicts a solitary female figure adorned with a floral wreath, positioned before a dimly lit interior that includes a fireplace and a candle holder on a small table.
Subject & Meaning
The woman's upward gaze and the crown of flowers evoke the iconography traditionally associated with Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. Holding a blossom in her left hand, she appears to be listening intently, a pose that aligns with the saint’s legendary devotion to divine harmony and the celestial nature of her worship.
Technique & Style
Executed in black‑and‑white photography, the work relies on chiaroscuro to separate the illuminated figure from the surrounding shadows. The contrast emphasizes the delicate lace detailing of the draped dress and the softness of the floral crown, while the subdued background recedes, directing attention to the subject’s face and hands.
History & Provenance
The photograph entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings as part of its early modern visual archive. Though the creator’s identity remains catalogued only as 889_person, the piece has been documented in the museum’s records since its acquisition, providing a rare visual record of 17th‑century devotional portraiture.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
