Sibylla Erythrea
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
126; 76.5; 7.5; 141.5; 94
About this artwork
inscription, outer wing, centre left, in the book: ‘SYBYLLA ERYTHREA’
Art Historical Context
Maarten van Heemskerck’s *Sibylla Erythrea* (1564) portrays the Erythraean Sibyl, one of the ancient prophetesses whose oracles Renaissance audiences believed foretold the coming of Christ. Painted in oil on panel and measuring 126 by 76.5 centimetres, the work originally formed the outer wing of a larger altarpiece. The clear inscription “SYBYLLA ERYTHREA” on the open book identifies the figure and underscores the Renaissance fascination with classical wisdom reconciled to Christian belief. Van Heemskerck, a leading Haarlem painter of the Dutch Renaissance, spent several years in Italy absor...