Sts Cecilia and Valerianus at the organ 1570 - 1643

Giovanni Baglione made this drawing of Sts Cecilia and Valerianus at the organ at an unknown date. The narrative depicts the two Roman saints who converted to Christianity. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, is often shown with an organ, here pictured alongside her husband Valerianus. Baglione was working in Rome at a time when the church was trying to re-establish its cultural dominance. The drawing likely reflects the conservative religious environment of Counter-Reformation Rome. Saints were very popular in this period, and the depiction of Cecilia and Valerianus would have encouraged the faithful to emulate their piety. Historical research into the lives of the saints, as well as the artistic trends of the Counter-Reformation, helps us to understand the social and cultural forces that shaped this image. The role of the historian is to reveal these contexts and reflect on the meaning of art as something that is contingent on these conditions.