The death of St Cecilia

Art Historical Context

Behold *The Death of St. Cecilia*, a striking 17th-century engraving (ca. 1640–60) from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection. Created through a collaboration between engravers Johann Friedrich Greuter Hendrick van Schoel, reproduces a composition by the eminent Baroque master Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri 1581–1641). Measuring just over 6 inches square, this intimate print captures a pivotal moment in Christian iconography with remarkable precision. The scene dramatizes the martyrdom of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music, surrounded by anguished human figures, hovering angels, and symbolic wreaths—evoking themes of death, sanctity, and divine intervention. Domenichino's design reflects the emotional intensity of the Baroque era, a period when the Catholic Church used art to inspire faith during the Counter-Reformation. Cecilia's story, drawn from early hagiographies, recounts her survival of three beheading attempts before her eventual death, making her a symbol of perseverance. As an engraving, this work exemplifies reproductive printmaking techniques, where intricate lines etched into a copper plate allowed for multiple impressions, democratizing access to high-art compositions. Donated through the bequest of Phyllis Massar in 2011, it invites us to ponder the interplay of light, shadow, and spirituality in a tiny yet powerful format.

About the Artist

Johann Friedrich Greuter|Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri)|Hendrick van Schoel (Italian|German) · 1582 |1590 –1647 |1662

Italian, Parma 1582–1647 Rome|German, active Rome, ca. 1590/93–1662