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The image shows a person seated on a square pedestal, holding an open book up to their face with one hand. The person is sideways with one knee bent and the other leg dangling. Their head is covered with a cloth, and their facial features are obscured. The clothing is long and flowing, covering the body completely. Another figure is crouched nearby, partly obscured. In the background, there is an architectural feature with sculptures of two cherubic figures. The scene is depicted in a monochromatic tone with detailed line work for shading and textures.
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The image shows a person seated on a square pedestal, holding an open book up to their face with one hand. The person is sideways with one knee bent and the other leg dangling. Their head is covered with a cloth, and their facial features are obscured. The clothing is long and flowing, covering the body completely. Another figure is crouched nearby, partly obscured. In the background, there is an architectural feature with sculptures of two cherubic figures. The scene is depicted in a monochromatic tone with detailed line work for shading and textures.

National Gallery of Art · Print

A Sibyl Reading

John Skippe after Michelangelo

Date
1780s
Medium
chiaroscuro woodcut printed from 2 blocks: brown line block and gray-brown tone block on laid paper; laid down on album page
Dimensions
sheet: 35.3 x 24.7 cm (13 7/8 x 9 3/4 in.) support: 48.7 x 34 cm (19 3/16 x 13 3/8 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1996.9.5
Credit line
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Time span
1776 to 1800
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Portfolio and series

Series
Prints engraved in chiaroscuro after original drawings

Subjects and terms

  • female
  • figure
  • British
  • Reading
  • chiaroscuro
  • Sibyl
Provenance

(James Bergquist, New York); purchased by NGA, 1996.

NGA object ID 93719. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.