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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThe drawing shows a woman in profile, her head covered with a veil and her body wrapped in heavy, folded robes. She sits on a simple block, steadying a large open book on her lap with her left hand. The sketch focuses on the weight of the figure and the flow of her garments.
Sibyls were ancient prophetesses who, in the Renaissance Neoplatonic tradition, were believed to have foretold the coming of Christ to the pagan world. This study for the Chigi Chapel reflects the effort to harmonize classical antiquity with Christian theology.
Lactantius
His 'Divine Institutes' provided the primary textual basis for the Renaissance cataloging and Christianizing of the ten Sibyls.
Virgil
The Cumaean Sibyl is a central figure in the Aeneid, acting as a prophetic guide to the mysteries of the underworld.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://sammlungenonline.albertina.at/ "Raffaello Santi" (KÜNSTLER_IN) Graphische Sammlung (Sammlung)
850 × 1328 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on March 31, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.