Saint Cecilia. Vita et matyrium S. et gloriosae...Rome, ca. 1590

Art Historical Context

This exquisite late 16th-century book, *Saint Cecilia: Vita et Martyrium*, was printed in Rome around 1590 by Vincentii Accolti and features illustrations by Bernardino Passeri. Combining delicate etchings with bold woodcuts, the volume recounts the life and martyrdom of Saint Cecilia, the early Christian patron saint of music. Its compact size—just under eight inches tall—made it suitable for private devotion or scholarly study, reflecting the era’s growing interest in printed hagiographies. Created during the Counter-Reformation, the work underscores the Catholic Church’s renewed emphasis on saints as models of faith and resilience. The inclusion of a coat of arms suggests it may have been commissioned or dedicated to a noble patron, blending spiritual narrative with personal or institutional prestige. Passeri’s illustrations would have brought Cecilia’s story vividly to life for readers, merging text and image in a format that was both accessible and artistically refined. As a classified book in the Metropolitan Museum’s Drawings and Prints department, this volume highlights the innovative printing techniques of the period. Etchings allowed for intricate detail in figural scenes, while woodcuts provided strong decorative elements, demonstrating how artists and printers collaborated to disseminate religious stories across Europe.

About the Artist

Extypographia Vincentii Accolti|Bernardino Passeri (Italian|Italian) · |1577 – |1585

|Italian, active Rome, ca. 1577–85