In St. Cecilia (Stefano Maderno), how is the Interpretation discussed?
The statue attempts authoritatively to depict the state of St. Cecilia's incorruptible body, yet its use of the delicate Baroque style emphasizes the tragedy of her martyrdom. Funerary statues created for saints and popes in the Renaissance and later Baroque periods were designed to represent their figures in repose, as if sleeping. Some sources dispute that St. Cecilia's unconventional posing by Moderno was to reflect the incomplete state in which her body was recovered.It was believed for many years that the statue was a complete recreation of how the body was found in 1599. This is disputed, however, as art historian Steven Ostrow writes that the composition of the sculpture is entirely Maderno's invention. The statue directs prayer and contemplation through the ability for the viewer to interface with it directly. Its naturalism, life-size and accessibility centralize the space of the Basilica. The Baroque interplay between light and shadow within the sculpture help to emphasize its three-dimensionality, which means the sculpture can be engaged with from a variety of angles, which helps to further ground the piece's presence.
Baroque St. Cecilia incorruptible