c. 1585-1590

A long series of very similar images, probably beginning with David Singing God’s Praise, a painting by Pieter de Witte (also known as Peitro Candido and Peter Candid), includes an angel playing trombone among a mixed consort of angel-musicians. The upper half of the image is meant to depict Saint Cécile and angels. The lower half, not shown, depicts angels performing with David (Haarlem, Frans Hals Museum, photo A. Dingjan; Pieter Fischer 22). Shortly later (c. 1590), an engraving by Jan Sadeler, after Pieter de Witte’s painting, accompanies a setting of Psalm 150, Laudent Deum Cithara, by Orlando Lassus (see second detail) (Mirimonde 67). At around the same time, c. 1590, the top half of a painting by Otto Venius, the portion depicting St. Cecilia and angels, appears to either be a copy of or inspiration for the upper half of the painting by Peter de Witte (or one of the other versions) (see third detail below) (French National Library). A fourth image, a painting attributed to Hans Rottenhammer’s “circle,” follows that of Pieter de Witte in close detail. Like the others, only the top half of the image is shown (see fourth detail, below) (wikimedia commons). A fifth artwork, a silver relief by Christoph Lencker, is also modeled after the above Pieter de Witte painting (see fifth detail, below) (Pieter Fischer 23). Finally, a painted glass window in St. Helen’s church, Denton, England follows the same image. It is dated 1700 and signed by Giles of York (see sixth detail, below) (photo by Gordon Plumb). All images public domain. For more on this series of images, including several sketches not included in this timeline caption, see Paper, Canvas, Silver, Wood, and Glass: St. Cecilia Trombone Image in Many Forms.