Heilige Cecilia met orgel 1623 - 1660

This is Pieter de Bailliu’s "Saint Cecilia with Organ", an engraving of the 17th century, now held at the Rijksmuseum. The composition divides the image into zones, with Saint Cecilia offset to the left, anchored by the verticality of the organ pipes on the right. Her halo radiates outwards, creating a visual field that counterbalances the weight of her dark, draped form. The use of line is critical here; fine, controlled hatching defines the textures of her dress and the organ's structure, while also creating tonal depth. Cecilia’s gentle contrapposto suggests movement within the static medium, subtly animating the figure. We can view the halo, dress and organ as signs in a semiotic system; the halo signifying divinity, the dress, status and the organ, the music for which she is patron saint. De Bailliu captures not only the saint’s physical likeness, but also the harmony and order of the divine through the structuring principles of the engraving itself. Observe how the light from Cecilia seems to structure space which speaks to the interplay between the material and the spiritual.