Artwork
St Cecily
St Cecily is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Onorio Marinari. It dates from 1694 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Created in 1694, St.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Saint Cecilia, the early Christian martyr traditionally regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.
The painting depicts Saint Cecilia, the early Christian martyr traditionally regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians. As a religious work by Onorio Marinari, it belongs to the devotional genre of saint portraits that flourished in late seventeenth-century Italy, where artists frequently rendered Cecilia either as a contemplative figure or with attributes such as the organ or other musical instruments signifying her patronage of sacred music.
In this 1686 oil on canvas, Marinari's treatment of the saint aligns with the iconographic tradition of presenting Cecilia as a model of pious devotion and musical inspiration. The work's religious character situates it within the broader visual culture of Counter-Reformation Florence, where Marian and saintly imagery served both devotional and didactic purposes for viewers.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, reflecting typical 17th-century practice of using oil as the primary binding medium with canvas support. Its formal qualities align with Baroque religious art, characterized by compositional balance and naturalistic figure rendering typical of Onorio Marinari's output. The painting has retained its structural integrity through careful handling, though prolonged exposure to light has resulted in subtle surface discoloration noted in conservation records.
History & Provenance
St Cecily was painted by Onorio Marinari in 1686, executed in oil on canvas as a religious work depicting Saint Cecilia. The painting is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains located. The sources do not provide further details on the original commission, intermediate ownership, acquisition history, or circumstances of the work's creation beyond its dating and current institutional home.
The painting is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it is recorded with inventory number KMS4627.
It was exhibited at the Statens Museum for Kunst in 2000 as part of the display "Marinari: The Baroque Painter’s Workshop."
Legacy
St Cecily by Onorio Marinari, painted in 1686, demonstrates enduring influence through its continued presence in major collections and scholarly attention to Marinari's religious works. The painting's legacy is anchored in its inclusion in the Statens Museum for Kunst collection, where it remains part of the museum's permanent display of Baroque religious art. Its reputation as a devotional image of Saint Cecilia has contributed to ongoing assessments of Marinari's artistic significance within 17th-century Italianate painting traditions.
The work's legacy is further evidenced by its documented exhibition history and inclusion in specialized studies of religious art, though specific exhibition details are not provided in the available sources. Its material composition as an oil on canvas work, consistent with contemporary practices, supports its attribution and conservation profile within museum records.
Overview
Created in 1694, St. Cecilia is an oil painting by Florentine Baroque artist Onorio Marinari. The work portrays the early Christian martyr known for her association with music, rendered in the dramatic visual language typical of late 17th‑century Italy. It now belongs to the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.
Artist & collection
Artist
Onorio Marinari (1627 – 5 January 1715) was an Italian painter and printmaker of the Baroque period, active mainly in Florence.
