Staande heilige Cecilia 1491 - 1559

Curator: This is Garofalo's "Standing Saint Cecilia," a red chalk drawing from the Italian Renaissance. Editor: She looks lost in song. There’s something both incredibly serene and strangely haunting about her gaze upwards. Curator: Cecilia, as the patron saint of music, often appeared with musical instruments. In this piece, however, she’s holding what seems to be an unmarked sheet of music. Garofalo uses very fine lines to give volume to her garments. Editor: I’m struck by how present she feels, yet her pose is rather stylized, almost rigid. What can we say about the position of drawings like this one in artistic practices of the time? Curator: It most likely was intended as a preparatory study for a painting. Renaissance artists used drawings extensively to work out compositions, and poses, and anatomical details. It gave them the freedom to experiment and refine ideas before committing to the final work. Editor: Ah, that explains the somewhat detached expression then! Less a portrait of devotion, more a step in a process, the gears of a painting. Though you know, looking at this image I want to hear what’s in her soul more than see a pristine depiction on a canvas. Curator: Her almost melancholic gaze makes me wonder about the stories hidden behind Renaissance portrayals. Often these pieces depict the powerful but every now and then you see vulnerability peering through. Editor: You are right. Seeing such simple, expressive drawing in its incompleteness makes us imagine narratives. It allows for the sacred to become that little bit more accessible, human, maybe. Curator: Indeed, and in many ways a piece like this can offer more than any polished artwork. Editor: Yes, let’s leave our listeners with this gentle sketch and perhaps their own version of St. Cecilia’s melody.