A Sibyl Reading a Book Facing Right (ca. 1517–18, Met-Objekt 5987)
Original title: A Sibyl Reading a book facing right
kurzbeschreibung
A child holding a burning torch lights a Sibyl who leans over an open book. Ugo da Carpi produced this motif around 1517–18 as a chiaroscuro woodcut in brown tones. The sheet measures 28.2 × 22.6 cm and places the woman in an interior, bent over the pages before her.
Description
Turned to the right, the Sibyl sits in an armchair, the open book in front of her, her gaze lowered. Her long, heavily folded robe flows around the seated figure. Beside her stands a child holding a burning torch that brings light into the room from the left. An open door and a wall with a window opening structure the background. Strong contrasts of light and dark and a palette of varied browns define the image.
Context
Ugo da Carpi made the chiaroscuro woodcut known in Italy. This sheet dates from the Renaissance, when artists took up classical subjects such as the Sibyls again. Showing a Sibyl reading points to humanist interest in knowledge and prophecy. Stylistic comparisons with other works by the artist support the attribution and the dating.
Impact
Vigorous light-and-shadow contrasts create a dramatic yet intimate mood. The monochrome brown toning gives the sheet a calm, noble appearance and emphasizes the Sibyl's concentration on her reading.
Technique
Two printing blocks were used for this chiaroscuro woodcut, allowing different shades of brown. The process opened up fine tonal gradations and a sculptural modeling of the figures, visible in the precise lines and shadings.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)