Raffaello, Sibille e angeli, 1514, 08

Three prophetic women of antiquity are depicted in dynamic, seated poses around the top of an architectural arch. Winged angels accompany them, holding and pointing to tablets and a long vertical scroll containing Greek inscriptions. The figures are draped in heavy, colorful robes of blue, gold, and red against a dark, shadowy background.

The Sibyls represent the 'Prisca Theologia' (Ancient Theology), a core concept of Renaissance Neoplatonism which held that pagan antiquity received divine revelations that foretold Christian truths. This fresco reflects the intellectual atmosphere of the Roman High Renaissance, where classical divination was reconciled with sacred scripture through the influence of figures like Marsilio Ficino.