De H. Cecilia aan het orgel

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

Behold *De H. Cecilia aan hetel* (Saint Cecilia at the Organ), captivating engraving by Dutch artist Zacharias Dolendo created around 1593. Dolendo, a skilled engraver from Haarlem active in the late 16th century,fully captures the patron saint of music seated at her iconic instrument, surrounded by heavenly attendants. This sizable print—measuring 325 mm high 408 mm wide—emplifies the intricate line work of Northern Mannerism, with elegant, elongated figures and delicate shading that evoke spiritual harmony. Engravings like this were revolutionary in Dolendo's era, allowing affordable reproduction and wide dissemination of religious imagery amid the Dutch Reformation. Produced on a copper plate incised with fine burin lines, the medium highlights Dolendo's precision, influenced by his mentor Hendrick Goltzius. Saint Cecilia's depiction underscores music's divine role, a enduring Catholic motif persisting in Protestant Netherlands through prints. Adorned with the collector's mark Lugt 240 (attributed to 18th-century Dutch collector Jan Pietersz. Zoomer), this work bridges centuries of appreciation, inviting us to ponder its timeless blend of artistry and devotion.