Libyan Sibyl

One of five sibyls (pagan prophetesses) depicted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, alternating with seven Old Testament prophets. The Libyan Sibyl is shown in a complex twisting pose, reaching for a large book. The light from the Separation of Light from Darkness falls onto the pages of the open book she holds.

The figure demonstrates Michelangelo's mastery of the human form, with powerful musculature visible beneath flowing drapery.