Saint Cecilia c. 19th century

Curator: This is Jacopo Bernardi's "Saint Cecilia," created sometime in the 19th century. Editor: The image evokes a powerful sense of devotion, doesn't it? Her upward gaze and the halo create a feeling of transcendence. Curator: Indeed. Bernardi was working within a long tradition of portraying Cecilia as the patron saint of music. Consider the organ—a symbol of divine harmony. Editor: I see the organ as representing not just harmony but also technological advancement in instrument making and its role in religious expression. Curator: Perhaps the means of production of this piece itself, its reproduction, speaks to wider access to religious imagery in the 19th century. Editor: Ultimately, Bernardi captured the cultural and psychological weight attributed to this saint, a visual encoding of faith. Curator: It's fascinating to consider how artistic labor and material culture intertwined with belief systems during this period.