De heilige Cecilia in extase 1772 - 1841

Editor: Here we have Francesco Rosaspina's print, "The Ecstasy of Saint Cecilia," created sometime between 1772 and 1841. The figures have this calm serenity to them that feels so different from a lot of ecstatic depictions. The broken instruments on the ground almost whisper a story. What do you see in this piece, and how does that calmness speak to you? Curator: The calmness, that quiet rapture… it's as if Rosaspina is showing us a communion more profound than just a visual spectacle. See how Cecilia looks upwards, almost past the angels above? The angels themselves seem to be straining to listen, perhaps to the unheard music of the spheres she alone can perceive. And those broken instruments – what could be more symbolic of earthly passions surrendered? Has this given you new insight into Cecilia's supposed ‘calm’? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way, with Cecilia looking 'past' the angels – but now that you point it out it looks as if she is listening to the unheard. Does that explain the expressions of the people surrounding her, listening or perhaps trying to see what she is seeing? Curator: Precisely! They represent the earthly realm grappling with the divine, the limitations of our human senses when confronted with something truly transcendent. Their varied expressions - awe, confusion, pensiveness - become a mirror reflecting our own struggles to understand. It feels very raw and relatable, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. I’ll definitely look at this engraving with a different perspective now – like trying to tune into a frequency that's just beyond our everyday perception. Curator: Yes, a divine frequency. Next time you listen to music, ask yourself, “Am I simply hearing the notes, or am I listening for something more?”