NeoGothic St. Cecilia of Rome (detail; BNG 02) Tile

In this splendid NeoGothic Swiss devotional print, St. Cecilia of Rome (3rd century) is depicted playing an upright pipe organ. Her long auburn hair hangs loose and tumbles over her shoulders and down her back. She wears a mediaeval-style, cream-coloured gown lined in green over a dark red-orange kirtle. The gown has a square neckline and bell sleeves. + On the print’s left is a potted lily plant. In the religious language of flowers, lilies signify purity. Despite her private vow of virginity, St. Cecilia was forced into an arranged marriage with a pagan named Valerian. The marriage was never consummated. The long and the short of it is that her new husband, having seen an apparition of the angel that guarded his wife’s virtue, converted to Christianity and respected her vow. + Against the aqua background patterned with gold dots and stars, two angels hover in the space above St. Cecilia. Clad in salmon pink, one angel holds an unfurled scroll; clad in green, the other angel plays a portative or hand-held organ. It is said that on her wedding day, St. Cecilia “sang in her heart to the Lord” instead of revelling; hence, her patronage of musicians (especially organists) and singers as represented by the two angels. + The entire scene is enclosed in a NeoGothic architectural framework and a border with colourful floral bosses. + Epilog: St. Cecilia, her husband St. Valerian, and her brother-in-law St. Tiburtius were all martyred. But, that’s a story for another day! + Feast: November 22 + Image Credit (BNG 02): Antique NeoGothic image of St. Cecilia, originally published in chromolithography by Benziger & Co., Einsiedeln, Switzerland, late 19th-early 20th century, from the designer’s private collection of religious ephemera.