Item Details:

ALLEGORY OF MUSIC

ANONYMOUS

19th CENTURY

Oil Painting on Canvas

Size: 26.5 x 31.5 in; 67.31 x 80.01 cm

Serene angel playing a mandolin and contemplating a white lily. Apart from their place in narrative themes, and as attributes, musical instruments have an equally precise meaning, as symbols of love . Angels as musicians and singers symbolize the harmony of the celestial spheres. From the time of Pythagoras, the spheres were considered complex numerical structures, governed by musical relationships. The white lily represents new beginnings and resurrection in various cultures and religions. For example, Christians, in particular, associate these flowers with Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They also bloomed as a sign of fertility for pagans and are referenced in various stories throughout the Bible. Many believe white lilies grew from where Jesus’s blood dripped from his place on the cross. Others see the blossoms as the floral embodiment of the Virgin Mary. The first representation of this flower dates back to around 1580 BC when it was first pictured in Crete, an island in Greece. To this day, Greek brides still wear a crown of white lilies to embody purity and abundance.