The virgin and martyr, Saint Cecile, has been venerated since Christian Antiquity. Since the sixteenth century, she has been considered the patron saint of music because, according to legend, while musicians played at her wedding, her heart sang only for God after she took her vow of chastity.

The saint is usually depicted with a musical instrument, or at the moment of her martyrdom, when an executioner unsuccessfully tried to decapitate her.

The technique, composition and color of this work reflect the Venetian painting's influence on Poussin's work. This painting was previously attributed to one of his collaborators, the French painter, Charles Mellin (1597-1649).