The Sibyl Agrippina

Since the days of Classical Antiquity, the Sibyls were considered seers sent by God, whose prophecies were as of Early Christian times taken as indicating the Epiphany. Sibyl Agrippina, the Egyptian, and Sibyl Europaea were supplemented in Medieval times to bring the number in line with that of the 12 male prophets of the Old Testament. Her depiction as a black can be associated with the increased availability of black models owing to the rising slave trade in the Netherlands. Frequently they were read against the background of the conversion of African ‘heathens’. With the presentation of the attributes of the Passion, the flagellum and the crown of thorns, she alludes to Jesus’ suffering. The banner, which goes back to Filippo Barbieri’s description of the prophecies of 1481 (“Siccabitur ut folium”, “he or she will dry up like a leaf ”), can also be interpreted in this light. The painting has lately been attributed to Antwerp-based painter Jan van der Hoecke. (Kathrin DuBois)