The creator of the canvas presented in the museum’s collection, Niccolò Renieri (also known as Nicolas Régnier), was born in Flanders (according to other sources — in France) and left for Italy in his early youth. There he joined the circle of followers of Caravaggio. But, unlike the northern Caravaggists, whose art was focused on the more mundane aspects of genre scenes, Renieri’s style was characterized by a desire for sophistication, elegance and aristocratic aspirations. Creating paintings on historical, religious and mythological themes, working in the genre of portrait, he always strove for refinement. This is also characteristic of the canvas “Saint Cecilia” from the collection of the Sakha Republic National Art Museum.

The painting is distinguished by a high level of skill and harmonic balance of the composition, which is dominated by the captivating image of a young woman who surrenders to music. Translucent glazes surprisingly subtly convey shiny, tear-filled eyes turned upward to the sky. The artist’s brush perfectly renders the texture of wood and metal of a musical instrument. Next to Cecilia is an angel with a sheet of music in his hands, as if echoing the sounds of a spiritual chant. The master successfully uses contrasting lighting, focusing the light on the faces of the characters. Depicting the play of draperies and the cloudy sky behind the angel, he smoothes the light contrast, making it less sharp. Despite the hint of sentimentalism, this creates a soft atmosphere in the painting, which, combined with the richness of the colorful range, gives it a special charm and elegance.

The painting attracts the attention of the viewers with its free, integral manner of compositional solution and color scheme. The Roman aristocrat Cecilia is depicted in a dress contemporary to the time of the painting. Color asceticism is combined here with a scrupulously worked-out texture of clothing materials: the subtly shining silk, adjacent to shimmering satin and a light delicate veil. The musical instrument is also freely and accurately painted — with glitter effects on metal pipes and wood polishing.