St CeciliaArtemisia Gentileschi

In this luminous composition (1620), Artemisia Gentileschi—one of the first renowned female painters—presents St Cecilia, patroness of music, in a moment of spiritual ecstasy. Her upward gaze and soft glow suggest divine inspiration, while the lute grounds her devotion in earthly artistry. Gentileschi elevates sacred music into a channel of feminine strength and transcendence.