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Delphian Sibyl

Italian 15th Century

1401

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Delphian Sibyl is a 1401 ink by Italian 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Italian 15th Century
When & what style?: 1401 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This engraving shows a robed figure sitting on jagged rocks, holding a scroll in one hand and a long staff in the other. Her face is serious, with a crown of leaves on her head. A snake curls above her, and Latin words wrap around the scene. The figure’s name, *Sibilla Delfica*, is written on her robe. The text around her is also in Latin, likely a prophecy or warning. Next, look up engraving to see how artists carved this kind of detail.

About the artist

Artist

Italian 15th Century

This anonymous Italian engraver from the 1490s carved images that could be peeled apart like paper dolls—each knot in the "First Knot" print was cut from a single sheet so you could lift the loops right off the page.

See the richer artist page