Saint Cecilia | MSK Gent
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Saint Cecilia, ca. 1829

  • oil paint, canvas
  • 222.3 x 156 cm
  • Inv. 1829-C

Public Domain

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Fanny Paelinck-Horgnies was the wife and student of painter Joseph Paelinck. She mainly painted history paintings, religious scenes and genre paintings, but gradually turned to more Romantic subjects. This painting depicts Saint Cecilia, one of the most popular Roman martyrs to live in the second century A.D. According to legend she was forced to marry Valerian, but managed to convince him to preserve her virginity. Valerian agreed to this on condition that he would be able to see the angel who guarded her virginity. When the angel revealed himself to Valerian, he and Cecilia’s brother Tiburtius consented to being baptized by the pope, St Urban. But their conversion condemned the trio to death and martyrdom. Since the late Middle Ages Cecilia has become the patron saint of all musicians. She is usually depicted holding a hand organ. Here she plays the harp, which became fashionable during the transition between eighteenth and nineteenth century. This work is an excellent example of neo-Classicist painting due to its theme, its smooth painting style, the static composition and the balanced light.

Artist

Fanny Paelinck-Horgnies RKD Wikidata
Regensburg 1805 - Brussels 1887
painters (artists)AAT

Title Saint Cecilia
Date ca. 1829
Period 19th century
Collection paintings AAT
Object type oil paintings (visual works) AAT
Inventory number 1829-C
Acquisition credit contest
Paelinck-Horgnies, Fanny
Ghent
1829
Current whereabouts Work on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1829-C
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/62/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300055874 religious symbolism AAT
300189808 figures (representations) AAT
Keywords Iconclass 11HH female saints Iconclass
11HH(CECILIA) the virgin martyr Cecilia of Rome; possible attributes: falcon, musical instruments, organ, wreath of roses and lilies Iconclass
22C light Iconclass
22C2 artificial light Iconclass
22C5 reflection (light in general) Iconclass
22C8 shadow Iconclass
25G41(LILY) flowers: lily Iconclass
25G41(ROSE) flowers: rose Iconclass
31A2422 head turned to the right Iconclass
31A247 looking over the shoulder Iconclass
31A72 female sex; woman Iconclass
31D15 adult woman Iconclass
41A2 interior of the house Iconclass
41A421 curtains Iconclass
41A6711 flowers in a vase Iconclass
41A721 chairs (furniture forms) Iconclass
41A723 bench Iconclass
41A7634 blanket Iconclass
41D222(CRAVAT) neck-gear ~ clothing (CRAVAT) Iconclass
41D222(SCARF) neck-gear ~ clothing (SCARF) Iconclass
41D266 ornaments, jewels Iconclass
41D2662 bracelet, wristlet Iconclass
41D2663 ear-rings Iconclass
48C7 music Iconclass
48C7322 harp Iconclass
48C75 making music; musician with instrument Iconclass
61E(ROME) names of cities and villages (ROME) Iconclass
School / Style Neoclassical AAT
Catalogus van het Museum van Schoone Kunsten Gent : II: Moderne Meesters / Georges Chabot, Fritz Van Loo. - Gent : Ad. Hoste, 1932 (p. 114)
onder vrienden : 225 jaar verzamelaars rond het Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent (tentoonstelling Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 25.11.2023 - 28.04.2024) / Johan De Smet, Frederica Van Dam, Willy Van der Gucht, Manfred Sellink. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2023 ; Gent : De Vrienden van het Museum, 2023 (p. 125, cat. 115 (ill.))
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