Saint Cecilia Playing the Harp c. 19th century

Curator: This is Johann Conrad Ulmer's "Saint Cecilia Playing the Harp," currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. The engraving presents a classic depiction of the saint, patron of music. Editor: It feels so contained, doesn't it? Like a memory preserved in monochrome. Her gaze heavenward, the angel with the score... It's all very deliberate. Curator: The composition is quite interesting. Note how the harp’s verticality mirrors the classical column, framing Cecilia in a space of both earthly and divine inspiration. Editor: And all those instruments scattered about...it's as if music is literally overflowing from her presence. A subtle chaos tamed by her serene performance. Curator: Observe also the meticulous rendering of textures. Ulmer captures the sheen of the drapery, the smoothness of the harp, and the delicate wings of the angel with equal precision. Editor: Absolutely, it's a real symphony of surfaces. It leaves you pondering the relationship between sight and sound. Almost as if you could hear the music just by observing the etching! Curator: Indeed, Ulmer successfully renders the intangible, inviting us to contemplate the transcendent power of music. Editor: Makes you want to find your own harp, doesn't it? A real meditation.