Saint Cecilia and an Angel

painting by Gentileschi

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July 18, 2026

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The painting Saint Cecilia and an Angel was created by Orazio Gentileschi, an Italian Baroque painter influenced by Caravaggio. This artwork, with versions dating to around 1617/1618 and 1621/1627, showcases Caravaggio's use of dramatic gestures, realistic figures, and strong light-and-dark contrasts (chiaroscuro).1

Saint Cecilia herself is a virgin martyr of the early Christian church and the patron saint of music. According to legend, she vowed her virginity to God and was martyred in Rome in the 3rd century. The painting likely depicts an angelic visitation to Saint Cecilia, a theme that aligns with her hagiography. Orazio Gentileschi's daughter, Artemisia Gentileschi, was also a notable Baroque artist who trained in his studio.213

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Orazio Gentileschi
…David and Goliath (1610?) and Saint Cecilia and an Angel (c. 1617/1618 and c. 1621/1627; with Giovanni Lanfranco)—employ Caravaggio’s use of dramatic, unconventional gesture and monumental composition, his uncompromising realism and contemporary representation of figure types, and to some extent his strong chiaroscuro, or light-and-dark contrast.
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…David and Goliath (1610?) and Saint Cecilia and an Angel (c. 1617/1618 and c. 1621/1627; with Giovanni Lanfranco)—employ Caravaggio’s use of dramatic, unconventional gesture and monumental composition, his uncompromising realism and contemporary representation of figure types, and to some extent his strong chiaroscuro, or light-and-dark contrast.
Read More