Augustus and the Sibyl

The legend of the Sibyl announcing the birth of Christ to Emperor Augustus belongs to the realm of Christian iconography, even though the setting and clothing of the characters evoke the courtly art of the late Middle Ages.

The twelve sibyls, prophetesses of antiquity, were considered in the Middle Ages as the female equivalents of the twelve biblical prophets. It was believed that the Tiburtine Sibyl (from Tibur, now Tivoli, near Rome) had foretold the birth of Christ to Emperor Augustus.

This charming tapestry depicts that very scene: in a hilly landscape, the Tiburtine Sibyl, accompanied by a retinue of companions and a young man, reveals a bust of the Virgin holding the naked Christ Child in her arms. At the sight of this celestial apparition, surrounded by clouds, Emperor Augustus, simply dressed in a large cape, kneels, while his three advisors express their astonishment through their gestures and gazes. The Christian theme is subtle compared to the depiction of the elegance of the costumes and an idyllic setting, between countryside and a manor house equipped with a clock.