{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O15024"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O15024/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FH1587/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FH1587/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2012FH1587","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AN6795","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O15024/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O15024","accessionNumber":"E.3003-1911","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"St. Cecilia","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Drawing of St Cecilia recording on paper music from heaven, assisted by an angel. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Siddal, Elizabeth","id":"A2388"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":"attributed to"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"pen and ink drawing on paper","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2012FH1587","2006AN6795"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLH","id":"THES49654"},"free":"","case":"PD","shelf":"206","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawing","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1855","earliest":"1855-01-01","latest":"1855-12-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"From the Collections of T. Woolner, R.A. and Reuben Townroe.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"19","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"13.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Notes by Reuben Townroe in the lower margin and on the back of the drawing."}],"objectHistory":"Rossetti gave lessons to Siddal, his model and later his wife (see cat.no. 127), and to a certain extent she followed his style of painting and subject-matter. Given his compelling personality, this was inevitable. But she has a distinct artistic personality of her own. The present work is connected with a series of illustrations to Tennyson's The Palace of Art, commissioned by the publisher Edward Moxon for his fine edition of the poems, published in 1857; Rossetti tried to persuade Moxon to include Siddal's work, and she produced several subjects. But in the event it was Rossetti who got the commission, and his illustration owes a great deal to the drawing here. The relevant lines from the poem are:\n Or in a clear-walled city on the sea, \n Near gilded organ pipes, her hair\n Wound with white roses, slept St Cecily;\n An Angel looked at her.\nMost of Siddal's subjects were female heroine/victims,ensuring her a special place in the history of women artists. Cecilia is the patron saint of music; according to the legend,she was a Christian betrothed to a non-Christian, whom she told she had consecrated her virginity to God and that their marriage would never be consummated. He accepted, and became a Christian, but was put to death. Cecilia was likewise arrested, but several attempts to kill her miraculously failed; eventually she was abandoned and simply left to die. Here, an angel assists while Cecilia records on paper music from heaven.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'St. Cecilia.'; pen and ink drawing attributed to Elizabeth Siddal","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design, Accessions 1911, London, Printed for His Majesty’s Stationery Office 1912"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1919, London: Printed Under the Authority of His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1921"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Owens, Susan, The Art of Drawing British Masters And Methods Since 1600, V&A Publishing, London, 2013, p. 135, fig. 108"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Cristina Acidini Luchinat (Editor) Gianfranco Brunelli (Editor) Francesco Parisi (Editor) Elizabeth Prettejohn (Editor) Peter Trippi (Editor) Musei San Domenico (Forlì, Italy) (Host institution) Preraffaelliti : rinascimento moderno Milano: Dario Cimorelli editore, 2024"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Musical Instrument","id":"AAT41620"},{"text":"Costume","id":"AAT209261"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.3003-1911"],"accessionNumberNum":"3003","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1911,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-15","availableToBook":false}}