The Eritrean Sibyl; from the series of Prophets and Sibyls in the Sistine Chapel 1570 - 1575

This engraving by Giorgio Ghisi reproduces one of Michelangelo’s Sibyls from the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In Renaissance Italy, the rediscovery of classical antiquity combined with the power of the Catholic Church to create monumental artworks with a didactic purpose. Michelangelo's frescoes in the Vatican are one of the most important examples of this convergence, in which pagan and Christian beliefs are blended to empower papal authority. The image of the Sibyls, female prophets who, according to the Greeks, could foresee the future by divine inspiration, became one of the most popular. Ghisi’s print makes Michelangelo’s work accessible beyond the Vatican walls. As historians, we seek out the original preparatory drawings, commissioned documents, or written descriptions of the artwork from this time to better understand the role of art and the artist in society. We come to understand that the meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.