Mariana Benedita Sequeira 1822

Domingos Sequeira painted this portrait of Mariana Benedita, immortalizing her poised at a keyboard. The act of playing music, throughout history, has been laden with symbolic weight, often associated with harmony and divine order. Consider David, the Old Testament hero, playing his harp, or Orpheus charming the natural world with his lyre. Here, Mariana's touch upon the keys evokes the ancient Greek concept of "Musica Mundana"- the celestial harmony of the spheres, reflected in the earthly realm through musical creation. This iconography has evolved: In earlier times, music was an allegorical representation of cosmic unity and philosophical ideals. With the rise of the bourgeoisie and the Enlightenment, the act of playing music, particularly for women, came to symbolize domestic virtue, refinement, and intellectual cultivation. We can observe a profound, psychoanalytic connection between music and emotional expression, engaging us on a deeply subconscious level. The portrait resonates with the cyclical progression of symbols, as these musical motifs have resurfaced and transformed, reflecting evolving societal values and personal expressions.