Drapery Study for a Sibyl

This drawing captures the intricate behavior of fabric, using dense hatching to define deep shadows and the weight of the material. The study focuses on the sculptural quality of the garment, showing how it would hang and move on a human figure. It is a preparatory sketch for the figure of the Phrygian Sibyl in the Chigi Chapel.

Sibyls were Greco-Roman prophetesses who Renaissance Neoplatonists, such as Marsilio Ficino, integrated into the 'prisca theologia' as ancient witnesses to divine truth alongside the Hebrew prophets. This study reflects the intense focus on the dignity and physical presence of these figures in the intellectual circle of Agostino Chigi and Raphael.