Sibyl
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 6 7/8 x 3 1/4 in. (17.5 x 8.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1969
Accession Number
69.573.1
Art Historical Context
This elegant engraving, created between 1530 and 1576 by Lambert Suavius after a design by Lambert Lombard, depicts a Sibyl—one of the ancient prophetesses revered in classical mythology. Working in the medium of engraving, Suavius translated Lombard’s composition into fine, precise lines that allowed the image to be reproduced and shared widely across Europe during the Renaissance. The small scale of the sheet, measuring just under seven inches in height, suggests was intended for private contemplation or inclusion in a collector’s album rather than public display. Lombard, a leading artist ...
About the Artist
Lambert Suavius|Lambert Lombard · 1510–1576
Lambert Suavius (c.1510–c.1574/76), whose Flemish family name was Zutman, was born in Liège, in the southern Netherlands. He was the son of an episcopal goldsmith, Henri Zutman, and from his father's craft environment he inherited a training in the precise handling of metal and an appreciation for fine detail work. He became closely associated with his brother-in-law Lambert Lombard, the leading a...