Title

Saint Cecile

Siloé, Gil de (Burgos. Active 1480-1500)

Generic classification

Object

Date

Century

Cultural context / style

Dimensions

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Inventory Number in Current Collection

Object history

In 2025, The Clark Museum received a major bequest from Aso O. Tavitian, consisting of 331 works of art and more than $45 million to fund a curator for the collection and its promotion, as well as to finance the construction of a new wing at the institution in memory of the donor.

Aso O. Tavitian, who passed away in 2020, wished for the main part of his collection to be transferred to The Clark Museum. He was born in Bulgaria to an Armenian family and settled in the United States in 1961, fleeing the Cold War. An entrepreneur with a strong philanthropic bent, he established the Tavitian Foundation in 1995 to provide scholarships to students of Armenian and Bulgarian descent. His interest in the arts led him to build a significant collection of worksbeginning in 2004, while also serving on committees for various American museums such as the Frick Collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, in addition to continuing to collaborate with The Clark Art Institute until his death.

The museum considers the sculpture to be one of the most important pieces that belonged to its benefactor, whose collection included works by Jan van Eyck, Pontormo, Rubens, Bernini, and Jacques-Louis David. However, we know nothing more about it. The donation will make it possible to compile a catalog of the various pieces, but at present, no further information is available about the sculpture that might provide clues regarding its origin and the chain of ownership leading up to Tavitian. Nevertheless, there is no source that allows us to determine the piece’s original location, who commissioned it, or whether it was part of a larger ensemble or a standalone devotional image.

Description

The sculpture of Saint Cecilia is part of the collection recently acquired by The Clark Art Institute (Massachusetts). There seems to be no doubt that it is the work of the sculptor Gil de Siloe, also known as Maestre Gil, Maestre Guilles, or Gil de Urlianes, who was active in Burgos (Spain) during the last two decades of the 15th century, and whose death, on an unknown date, must have occurred no later than 1505.

The creator of extraordinary works, including the royal tombs of John II and Isabella of Portugal, as well as that of Prince Alfonso and the main altarpiece of the church at the Miraflores Charterhouse near Burgos, the sculpture of Saint Cecilia does not appear to belong to any known ensemble, but may instead have been a unique devotional piece about which nothing else is known.

The attribution to the master is based on style. It is carved from alabaster, a material with which he felt more comfortable working than with wood, and which allows him to convey tactile qualities thanks to its malleability. It is reminiscent of the master’s sculptures in the tomb of John II and Isabella of Portugal, begun in 1486, especially the figures of Charity and the so-called Virgin of the Milk: the hair, eyes, lips, and folds of the dress and cloak are very similar, but in Saint Cecilia, a higher level of quality is achieved. The differences can be explained by the fact that the tomb was executed by a large, organized workshop that followed the master’s guidelines but did not match his sculptural quality, whereas the work at The Clark Museum appears to be entirely his own handiwork. In any case, the technical virtuosity of the piece not only suggests that it was sculpted by the master without significant workshop intervention, but also points to a date around 1500, during the final years of Gil de Siloe’s life.

A Roman saint who, according to tradition, was martyred in the late fifth century; a thousand years later, she became the patron saint of music, which is why she is depicted playing a hand organ, although her face does not reflect a corresponding expression; Technically, it is of high quality, with a polished face, but she appears lost in thought and shows no musical passion.

Locations

• Unknown date

  province

  Possible origin in the province of Burgos, Burgos (Spain)

• 2024

  private collection

  Aso O. Tavitian Foundation, New York (United States) *

• 2025 - present

  museum

  The Clark Museum, Williamstown (United States)