18th century, Cumaean Sibyl and Eritrean Sibyl

early eighteenth century

Cumaean Sibyl and Eritrean Sibyl

Oil on canvas, 38×30 cm

With frame, 50×40 cm

In the ancient world there were many soothsayers and prophets who made predictions in the name of a god. In the oracles, it was widely believed that there had been many female interpreters of the divine word, not subject to the passage of time, isolated from the world and little inclined to show themselves to human eyes; these were the Sibyls. The Pythia of Delphi is the best known case, but the Latin writer Marcus Terentius Varro (116-27 BC) listed ten: the Persian, the Erythraean (from Erythrae, in Lydia), the Hellespontian, the Phrygian, the Cimmerian, the Libyan, the Delphic, the Samian, the Cumaean and the Tiburtine (some depicted by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel). Some even thought that it was a single Sibyl, immortal, who moved to different places. The Cumaean Sibyl is one of the most fascinating figures to emerge from Latin literature: the texts written by her hand, delivered, according to tradition, by the prophetess to Tarquin the Proud, and preserved at the Capitoline Hill were perceived as a fundamental reference for the Kings of Rome and subsequently for the leading figures of the Roman Republic. Following the Christianization of the Roman Empire, this figure, re-semanticized, is presented in the scriptures as a predictor of the coming of Christ.

In our painting the sibyl is depicted standing: in her hands she holds a banner bearing the image of the adoration of the Magi, a crucial event in the history of humanity that the priestess is anticipating through the prophecy that describes the scene and, at the same time, predicts it: “SUA DONA MAGI CUM LAUDE FERENTES”, or the Magi bringing their gifts with honor. This short prophecy, which would be completed with objicient puero myrham, aurum, thura sabae, or they will show the child myrrh, gold, Sabaean incense, has also been associated with the Cimmerian sibyl over the centuries but in artistic representations it was generally associated with the Cumaean sibyl, which is therefore associated with the image of the adoration of the Magi. As further confirmation of the sibyl's prophetic power, we find at her feet, on the right of the composition, one of the mythical books that collected the fundamental predictions relating to the developments of the history of Rome and Christianity. The draped clothes and the serene but, at the same time, extremely determined gaze directed at the observer contribute to giving an impression of absolute authority to this mystical and intriguing character.

The figure of the Eritrean Sibyl has been venerated since ancient times: she was one of the most revered prophetesses of the ancient world, linked to the oracle of Apollo in Erythrae. Her prophecies were considered divinely inspired. The Christian Church included her among the twelve sibyls who prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ, integrating her into a broader narrative of the history of salvation: among the attributes of her representation, since the late Middle Ages, there is in fact the parchment, which often bears verses that refer to the incarnation of Christ or lenticular representations of the scene of the Annunciation.

The painting in question depicts a seated female figure, identifiable as the Eritrean Sibyl thanks to the inscription “SIB ERITREA” visible on the wooden base on which a wooden frame is inserted, within which the Annunciation is depicted. The Sibyl is depicted with a thoughtful and serene expression. She wears a dress with wide sleeves of salmon pink, draped with a light blue fabric on her shoulders. A golden brooch with a central stone decorates her chest. The lower part of her dress is a velvety dark green, and her legs are covered with a lighter fabric, perhaps white or ivory, that gently ripples. On her feet she wears reddish sandals that tie around her ankles. Her head is adorned with a crown of blue flowers and green leaves, and her brown hair is partly gathered at the nape of her neck. Her gaze is turned slightly to the right, giving a sense of contemplation. In the upper section of the large parchment scrolls on a wooden frame there are three scrolls bearing the words “HUMANITATI”, “IUNGETUR” and “DIVINITAS”, terms that if read together would translate as divinity unites with humanity. In Christian tradition, in fact, a prophecy on the birth of the Redeemer and, more generally, the Redemption of humanity is attributed to the Eritrean Sibyl; in accordance with the prophecy, the aedicule depicts an Annunciation with the descent of the Holy Spirit and the Child to the Virgin who is receiving the announcement from the Archangel Gabriel. Finally, if we consider the word “DIVINITAS”, it can also be interpreted as divination or the gift of prophecy, thus giving a nuance of meaning close to the role of the depicted.