“Sibyl” after Giovanni Francesco Barbieri “Il Guercino”, Bolognese School, Classicism, ff. 17th century - Italy
Exceptional oil on canvas depicting a Sibyl, attributed to the circle or workshop of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri “Il Guercino”, as it is a cut version of the homonymous work, made in 1647 and currently It is exhibited in the Capitoline Museums.
The female figure is represented in a seated manner, with her elbow resting on a surface that is outside the limits of the frame in order to rest her head on the back of her hand. His attitude is contemplative, perhaps reflective or meditative; The serene expression on his face is charged with a subtle melancholy.
The figure occupies the foreground of the pyramidal composition, whose top is the face of the protagonist, without other distracting elements. The dark background contributes to this approach, eliminating unnecessary details and generating an almost theatrical atmosphere. The light gently bathes the face and bust of the figure, highlighting them against this dark background. The slightly tilted position of the head creates a gentle diagonal that guides the viewer's eye throughout the work. The Sibyl's face is classic in its idealization; It does not show individualized details, but rather a beauty that is close to classical canons.
As for the color palette, it is sober but rich. The colors unfold with soft modeling, giving the figure a sculptural quality. The dress is blue, in contrast to the reddish or earthy mantle or cape, as well as the grayish turban.
The sibyls
Sibyls are female figures to whom men attributed the ability to prophesy the future in Greco-Roman Antiquity. The word "Sibyl" comes (via Latin) from the ancient Greek word sibulla, which means "prophetess."
This is a group of women whom mythology located in the vicinity of caves or rivers. The first references made to this mythological figure focus on a single character, however ten different sibyls will be named according to Varro: Sibyl of Samos, Eritrean Sibyl, Sibyl of the Hellespont, Phrygian Sibyl, Cimmerian Sibyl, Delphic Sibyl, Sibyl of Cumae, Libyan Sibyl, Tiburtine Sibyl and Babylonian Sibyl (also known as Persian or Hebrew Sibyl).
There have been many artists who have represented the sibyls, highlighting above all the mural paintings by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, where he represented five of these figures: Eritrean Sibyl, Persian Sibyl, Libyan Sibyl, Cuman Sibyl and Delphic Sibyl. along with five prophets, thus confronting the tradition of clairvoyance in Classical and Christian Antiquity. The Persian Sibyl from Il Guercino is in the Capitoline Museums in Rome.
Specifically, the Persian Sibyl was a prophetic priestess who presided over the Oracle of Apollo and supposedly predicted the exploits of Alexander the Great. It is mentioned by Nicanor, who wrote the life of Alexander. He had at least three names: Sambethe, Helrea and Sabbe. Sambethe was said to belong to the family of Noah. The medieval Byzantine encyclopedia, Suda, attributes to the Hebrew Sibyl the authorship of the Sibylline Oracles, a collection of texts from the 2nd to 4th centuries that were collected in the 6th century.
Giovanni Francesco Barbieri “Il Guercino” (1591-1666) and the Bolognese School
Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, better known by the nickname Guercino or Il Guercino, was an Italian baroque painter, representative of the transition period from Roman-Bolognese classicism to full baroque. His style was strongly influenced by the Carracci (in fact, his works earned the praise of the elderly Ludovico Carracci); However, some of his later works are more similar to that of his contemporary Guido Reni, who even accused him of plagiarism. Around 1628 his style underwent a change, his figures began to approach the ideals of physical perfection that the Romanist school founded by Raphael had sought in the previous century.
As a reaction to Mannerism at the end of the 16th century, two trends emerged in Italy: Caravaggism and Classicism. Both are chronologically framed within baroque painting, but their characteristics are different from those of the full baroque. One of these trends is classicism or classicist painting, it developed during the 17th century in Italy and France and represented an alternative to baroque painting.
The Accademia del Naturale, or Accademia del Design, is framed in this context. He trained in the Carracci workshop, who sought to renew the art of the moment, predominantly Mannerist, a style they considered decadent. The Bolognese school took its references from classical styles, both from Greco-Roman antiquity and from the Renaissance of the first Cinquecento, especially Raphael. Annibale Carracci had “gathered together everything that was good: the graceful lines of Raphael, the basic anatomy of Michelangelo, the delicate technique of Correggio, the coloring of Titian, and the fantasy of Giulio Romano and Mantegna.”
There were many painters who were part of the Academy, but the best known are Domenichino, the Bolognese Guido Reni and Francesco Albani. Later authors are considered transitional towards full baroque, such as Guercino.
Technique on support: Oil on canvas
Title of the work: “Persian Sibyl”
Author: Giovanni Francesco Barbieri Circle “Il Guercino”
Style / School: Classicism / Bolognese School
Period: End of the 17th century
Good condition for its age and use
Overall dimensions: 84 x 110 x 5 cm.
Dimensions without frame: 56 x 81 cm.
The frame that protects the work is offered as a gift, but has value in itself. It is provided at no additional cost so that when your artwork arrives at your home or destination it can be displayed immediately. Any damage to the frame itself, which does not affect the integrity of the artwork, cannot be accepted as a valid reason to open a claim or request a cancellation.
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