Raffaello, sibille e angeli 001

This composition features two distinct registers: an upper arch showing biblical prophets with scrolls and a lower section where four Sibyls receive divine inspiration. The Sibyls, representing pagan antiquity, are shown in dynamic, twisting poses as they interact with winged angels holding prophetic tablets. The scene illustrates the harmonious transition between the classical oracular tradition and the Christian prophetic lineage.

This work represents the Renaissance concept of 'prisca theologia'—the idea that ancient pagan figures like the Sibyls were precursors to Christian revelation. The inclusion of the Virgilian prophecy 'Jam nova progenies' reflects the Neoplatonic effort to synthesize classical literature with theology, a major theme in the intellectual circle of Raphael and his patron Agostino Chigi.