Sibyl (detail)
by CRETI, Donato, Oil on canvas
The painting probably depicts the Cumaean Sibyl. The Latin words on the sheet unrolled by the standing Cupid mean “He will be born of a Virgin” and, according to certain Christian exegetes, refer to the advent of the Redeemer. As a result, the Cumaean figure is one of the most commonly portrayed Sibyls in the art of the modern age.