St. Cecily / Cecilia (Illustration for The Palace of Art in Tennyson's Poems, New York, 1903)

In this small wood engraving, Saint Cecilia is caught in a moment of intense, almost ecstatic, communion. Her head is thrown back, eyes closed, as she plays a portable organ, her fingers gracefully poised over the keys. Above her, an angel leans in, his face mirroring her rapture, as he gently holds the organ's bellows. The scene is framed by a dense thicket of lilies, symbolizing purity, and a sleeping knight in the foreground, his armor gleaming faintly. This work, created in 1857, illustrates Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem "The Palace of Art," which explores themes of artistic isolation and spiritual awakening. The intricate details and the emotional intensity are characteristic of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a movement focused on rich symbolism and a return to the vividness of early Renaissance art.