Music

  • St Cecilia

    St Cecilia

    John William Waterhouse (British, 1849-1917)

    A saint sits enraptured, fingers hovering above the strings. An angel leans close, whispering divine melodies only she can hear. The air hums with silent music, her face alight with celestial inspiration. Golden light spills across her robes, blurring the line between earthly devotion and heavenly communion.

  • A Lady Playing the Piano

    A Lady Playing the Piano

    Carl Holsøe (Danish, unknown)

    A woman sits at the piano, fingers resting lightly on the keys. The room is hushed, sunlight filtering through sheer curtains. The air holds the quiet tension of a melody about to begin.

  • Muse with a trumpet

    Muse with a trumpet

    Circle of Angelica Kauffmann (Swiss, unknown)

    A woman holds a trumpet, her gaze distant yet intent. The golden instrument gleams against soft drapery, poised between sound and silence. Her fingers hover, as if waiting for the right moment to release the music coiled within. The air hums with anticipation.

  • The Mandolin (1866)

    The Mandolin (1866)

    James Smetham (English, 1821–1889)

    A woman cradles a mandolin, fingers poised above the strings. The instrument’s curves mirror her own, wood grain glowing against dark fabric. Music hangs in the air before the first note sounds.

  • Melody

    Melody

    Henry Ryland (English, 1856–1924)

    A woman sits absorbed in her music, fingers poised over the strings. The soft drape of her gown echoes the curve of the instrument, blending movement with stillness. Light catches the edge of her profile, leaving the rest in quiet shadow—a moment suspended between note and silence.

  • Jeune fille au piano. Portrait de Mademoiselle Warnier (1922)

    Jeune fille au piano. Portrait de Mademoiselle Warnier (1922)

    Ernest Laurent (French, 1859–1929)

    A young woman lost in thought at the piano, bathed in soft light that lends the scene an almost ethereal quality.

  • La femme au tambour de basque (1892)

    La femme au tambour de basque (1892)

    Edouard Rosset-Granger (French, 1853–1920)

    A woman cradles a tambourine in a painting that blends realism with dreamlike warmth, her expression hinting at untold stories.

  • Woman Playing A Lute (1879)

    Woman Playing A Lute (1879)

    Jules Joseph Lefebvre (French, 1836–1911)

    A young woman lost in music, her fingers tracing the lute’s strings as light wraps her in warmth.

  • Studying Sheet Music (The Chinese Cloisonne Vase) (1904)

    Studying Sheet Music (The Chinese Cloisonne Vase) (1904)

    Wilhelm Menzler (German, 1852–1926)

    A musician studies sheet music beside an ornate Chinese vase, where light dances between cultural symbols in silent harmony.