Guido Reni (Italian, 1575–1642), Saint Cecilia (also known as Saint Cecilia Playing the Violin), painted in 1606.
Below Grok
nortonsimon.org This Baroque oil-on-canvas painting (about 96 x 75 cm / 37¾ x 29½ inches) is in the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California. It depicts Saint Cecilia, the early Christian martyr and patron saint of musicians, in a moment of musical ecstasy or divine inspiration. She gazes upward (toward heaven/angels), wearing a white turban-like headscarf with gold trim, a vibrant red dress over white sleeves, and holding a violin (with bow in her right hand) while organ pipes appear in the dark background.
nortonsimon.orgReni, a leading Bolognese Baroque painter known for graceful figures and dramatic lighting, created this as a devotional image. Cecilia’s upturned eyes and rapt expression emphasize her legendary ability to hear heavenly music while playing earthly instruments (violin and organ are both her attributes). The original was likely for a church or private devotion in Rome.
christianiconography.infoThe image you shared appears to be a high-quality reproduction, photograph, or faithful study/copy of this work (modern studies like Donna Tucker’s exist, but this closely matches Reni’s composition).
From my research, it appears Jerry Garcia and Ron Mckerinan were the only baptized Roman Catholics of the Grateful Dead members. In the 1977 Grateful Dead movie, directed by Jerry Garcia and Leon Gast, and edited by Garcia, Susan R. Crutcher, Lisa Fruchtman, and John Nutt, Garcia chose to keep this bit in at 36:50… Deep in his soul and intellect, maybe his unconscious, despite all the chaos, noise, wound and folly, perhaps Jerry knew he should share the message of the love and truth of Jesus Christ. That may be a bit of a stretch but I wonder during those 1960s and early 70s shows, if the band ever meant it when they sang the words:
Lay down my dear brothers, lay down and take your rest
Won’t you lay your head upon your Savior’s breast
I love you, but Jesus love you the best
Good for the young man in the Garcia film for speaking truth. I hope Jesus Christ had his hand on him and angels watching over him back then and now. If he has left this earth as of this writing in 2025 may God bless his soul and may he be blessed for honoring the holy name of Jesus Christ….. Not everyone got out alive…literally.
Hope the Gal at 36 minutes made it thru. All of them.
Catholic teaching is undecided whether souls in purgatory can pray for living souls. St. Thomas thought they could not and St. Robert Bellarmine and St. Alphonsus Liguori believed they could. No doubt Garcia would feel moved to pray for his millions of fans if he has that option since his death.
Good for Garcia to keep the name of Jesus in his film, not so much, the glamorization of drug taking.
Jerry’s reputation, and maybe some unconsciously felt or deliberate “pressure” from some of his cohorts, may have something to do with him being a bit muzzled with the bigger band. He seemed more free to branch out, indicated by his set lists, when he was out with the Jerry Garcia Band.
Perhaps, Jerry, from his perspective and life now wishes he shared much more deliberately to his millions of fans, the truth and message of Jesus Christ. He certainly wanted to share a good time, and a creative, interesting and melodic sound. Jesus Christ loved and loves Jerry Garcia, blessed him with children, and knew much of his life’s work was a desire to share exploration. He also wanted to end needless war.
Some good and some bad fruit and activity in 1960s America and the world, like every decade. Working on stopping the wars of man and the military industrial complex certainly was critical.
Approximately two million Vietnamese DEAD
58,200 Americans died.
More than 50,000 veterans have killed themselves over the decades.
Over 300,000 US soldiers wounded physically and emotionally. So thanks to anyone who has worked to stop unjust wars.
https://media.ascensionpress.com/2018/11/02/can-souls-in-purgatory-pray-for-us
Sisters and Brothers – Jerry with a message of hope, comes thru.
Some of Psalm 91