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Original fileA monumental figure of Isaiah is shown in dynamic contrapposto, wearing blue robes and a golden-yellow cloak. He is flanked by two nude putti who hold a garland and a dedicatory plaque above his head. The work shows the heavy influence of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling in its muscular anatomy and sculptural drapery.
This work represents the High Renaissance synthesis of Christian prophecy and humanist scholarship known as Christian Hebraism. The inclusion of Hebrew and Greek scripts reflects the intellectual environment of Rome in the early 16th century, where scholars sought to harmonize ancient languages and 'Prisca Theologia' with Catholic doctrine.
ΑΝΝΗ ΠΑΡΘΕΝΟΤΟΚΩ ΠΑΡΘΕΝΙΚΗ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΩ ΚΛΥΤΡΩΤΗ ΧΡΙΣΤΩ ΙΩ ΚΟΡ פִּתְחוּ שְׁעָרִים וְיָבֹא גוֹי צַדִּיק שֹׁמֵר אֱמֻנִים
Translation
Greek: To Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin; to the Virgin, Mother of God; to Christ the Redeemer; Johann Goritz [dedicated this]. Hebrew: Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the faith may enter in (Isaiah 26:2).
Egidio da Viterbo
A prominent Christian Kabbalist and Hebraist in Raphael's Roman circle whose interest in the original Hebrew scriptures influenced the trilingual humanist culture of the time.
Johann Reuchlin
His contemporary works on the 'mirific word' and the importance of Hebrew study for Christian theology parallel the visual prominence of Hebrew in this prophetic depiction.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.