Artwork
Sibylla Tiburtina
Sibylla Tiburtina is an unspecified painting by Hermann tom Ring. It dates from 1568 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Hermann tom Ring's painting portrays the Sibylla Tiburtina as a portrait, focusing on the figure rather than a narrative scene.
Hermann tom Ring's painting portrays the Sibylla Tiburtina as a portrait, focusing on the figure rather than a narrative scene. The subject is depicted holding specific attributes that define her identity and prophetic role: a book and a locket. These objects serve as the primary iconographic elements, with the book signifying her written prophecies and the locket acting as a distinctive personal or symbolic accessory.
The work functions as a character study within the genre of portraiture, presenting the sibyl through these tangible items rather than through complex allegorical settings.
Technique & Style
The Sibylla Tiburtina is an oil painting executed by Hermann tom Ring, classified within the portrait genre. The work is presented on a rectangular support measuring 78.1 cm in height and 54.4 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition depicts the titular figure holding specific attributes, including a book and a locket, which are integral to the iconographic program.
The piece is currently held within the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek. The handling of the medium emphasizes the formal qualities of the sitter and her symbolic objects, consistent with Ring's portraiture style of the period.
History & Provenance
The Sibylla Tiburtina is a portrait painted by Hermann tom Ring depicting the titular figure with a locket and book. It measures 78.1 cm in height and 54.4 cm in width. The work belongs to the portrait genre and is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, housed in the Alte Pinakothek.
Its creation history and provenance are documented within the collection records of the institution, confirming its attribution to Ring and its placement in the museum's holdings.
Legacy
The portrait was acquired by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and remains on view in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it contributes to ongoing scholarship on Ring’s role in the German Renaissance portrait tradition. Its iconography, featuring a locket and book, has informed studies of elite female representation in early modern art and continues to shape interpretations of Ring’s synthesis of realism and symbolic detail.
Overview
Hermann tom Ring, a German painter born in Münster in 1521 and active until 1596, produced Sibylla Tiburtina around 1568. The painting now resides in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich. It belongs to the Northern Renaissance tradition, in which tom Ring worked throughout his long career.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hermann tom Ring (German pronunciation:; 2 January 1521 in Münster – 18 October 1596 in Münster), was a German Renaissance painter.
