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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileTwo sibyls are shown in dynamic, twisting poses, reacting to scrolls and tablets presented to them by winged messengers. A central putto stands between the women holding a tablet, while the figures are arranged to follow the curve of an architectural arch. The composition emphasizes the transition of ancient prophecy into written record through the interaction of celestial and mortal figures.
This work represents the Renaissance synthesis of 'Prisca Theologia' (Ancient Theology), which held that pagan figures like the Sibyls were early recipients of divine truth. It reflects the Neoplatonic environment of Rome and Florence, where thinkers integrated classical mystery traditions into Christian salvation history.
ΝΕΚΡΩΝ ΑΝΑΣΤΑ ΣΙΣ ΕΙΣ ΦΑΟΣ ΗΞΕΙ ΘΑΝΑ ΤΟΥ Μ ΟΙΡΑΝ
Translation
Resurrection of the dead. He will come into the light. The fate of death.
Lactantius
Lactantius's Divine Institutes is the primary source that preserved and Christianized the Sibylline prophecies used by Renaissance artists.
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's De christiana religione argued that the Sibyls were part of a lineage of ancient theologians (prisci theologi) who predicted the arrival of the Logos.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artworkwga QS:P11807,"r/raphael/5roma/2/05sibyl2"
5472 × 3648 px
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.