The Tiburtine Sibyl and the Emperor Augustus

This chiaroscuro woodcut was printed with two blocks of wood carved with different components of the design. The cut surfaces were inked with a light (chiaro) and a dark (scuro) color, here olive-tan for the background and black for the primary design; the white highlights are areas of unprinted paper. The scene depicts the Roman Emperor Augustus (63 B.C.E.–14 C.E.) asking the Tiburtine Sibyl, an ancient prophetess, whether he would be posthumously recognized as a god. In response, the sibyl points to the vision of the Madonna and Child in the upper left corner, thus portending the coming of Christ. Antonio da Trento, an Italian printmaker, may have worked directly with the Italian Mannerist painter and etcher Francesco Parmigianino on this print.