Andrea Mantegna, (Italian, circa 1431–1506), A Sibyl and a Prophet, circa 1495, distemper and gold on canvas, Cincinnati Art Museum, Bequest of Mary M. Emery, 1927.406.

Audio Description

This painting, titled A Sibyl and a Prophet, was made around 1495 by the Italian artist Andrea Mantegna, who lived from about 1431 to 1506. It is painting in distemper and gold on canvas, and was bequeathed to the Cincinnati Art Museum by Mary M. Emery. Its accession number is 1927.406.

Two figures, a woman and a man, fill the composition, which is about 22 by 20 inches. They stand in front of an open doorway framed by classical architecture. They each hold a side of a long scroll; their mouths are open and they gesture with their free hands, deep in discussion of the text. The painting’s palette consists of warm golden tones highlighted with touches of actual gold, which makes the scene look like it was cast in bronze. The man, at right, wears a turban and a long beard that covers his chest. A long cloak is wrapped around his body with one end thrown over his left shoulder. The woman stands almost in profile to the right as she leans slightly forward to hold the top of the scroll in her left hand and point to a specific passage with her right. She wears a crown over a veil that does not fully cover her long, curly hair. Her dress is cinched in at the waist by lengths of fabric wound around her body. A cape gently flares out over her shoulders.

Label Copy

This painting, titled A Sibyl and a Prophet, was made around 1495 by the Italian artist Andrea Mantegna, who lived from about 1431 to 1506. It is painting in distemper and gold on canvas, and was bequeathed to the Cincinnati Art Museum by Mary M. Emery. Its accession number is 1927.406.

One of the most important artists of the Italian Renaissance, Andrea Mantegna regularly adapted the styles and motifs of ancient Roman art in his work. In this painting, Mantegna imitated the appearance of bronze sculptural relief in paint, using traces of gold to enhance the metallic effect. The subject remains enigmatic, but it may be derived from the Old Testament or a Roman legend.

Included among the 202 Berlin paintings that came to America were two paintings by Mantegna, both from much earlier in his career: a portrait, Cardinal Ludovico Trevisan (circa 1459), and the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (circa 1465–66). Due to their fragile condition, neither painting made the full U.S. tour. The Presentation was only exhibited in Washington, D.C., while Cardinal Trevisan returned to Germany after the first five venues.

Back to The Berlin Masterpieces in America     Back to the Audio Exhibition