Persian Sibyl, from the series of Sibyls
ca. 1530
Medium
Woodcut
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1937
Accession Number
37.38.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the mystical world of Renaissance prophecy with Lucas van Leyden's *Persian Sibyl*, a captivating woodcut from his series on the Sibyls, created around 1530. Van Leyden, a leading Dutch artist of the Northern Renaissance (1494–1533), was renowned for his intricate prints that rivaled the finesse of engravings. This portrait captures the Persian Sibyl, one of twelve ancient prophetesses revered in classical lore and Christian iconography as foretellers of the Messiah, her exotic turban and flowing robes evoking Eastern mystique. Printed on a wood block carved in reverse, this medium ...
About the Artist
Lucas van Leyden · 1484–1533
Lucas van Leyden (1494–1533) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who stands among the greatest engravers of the Northern Renaissance. Born in Leiden as either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, he lived and worked primarily in his native city, achieving international renown that rivaled the German master Albrecht Dürer. Lucas van Leyden revolutionized Netherlandish printmaking and was among the first...