Cumaean Sibyl

This painting of the Cumaean Sibyl, from the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck, depicts one of the ancient prophetesses who foretold the coming of Christ. The inclusion of both biblical prophets and pagan sibyls on the altarpiece's exterior reflects medieval theology's incorporation of classical prophecy. The prophets and sibyls of the Ghent Altarpiece's exterior panels demonstrate Jan van Eyck's command of the theological iconography of Christian typology — the idea that the Hebrew prophets and pagan sibyls had foretold the coming of Christ, making the Old Testament and classical antiquity precursors to the New. His rendering of aged prophetic figures, their faces communicating the weight of divine revelation, belongs to the northern tradition of devotional art that treated the human face as the primary vehicle for spiritual expression. The precise rendering of aging flesh, the quality of light on their robes, and the psychological depth of their expressions all reflect van Eyck's founding achievements in Flemish oil painting.

The sibyl is rendered in grisaille to simulate stone sculpture, demonstrating van Eyck's extraordinary ability to create trompe-l'oeil effects. The painted simulation of carved stone is so convincing that the figure seems to project from the panel.