The Cumaean Sibyl

Enrico Cundari

Italy, 19th Century

Oil on canvas

39 x 29.25 in.

Mori and Jacobson Collection

“The Cumaean Sibyl” was part of a group of sibyls, or female prophets, from Greek mythology and ancient Roman literature. In Ovid’s Metamorphosis, the god Apollo granted her request that, in exchange for her vow of love, she might live for as many years as the number of grains of sand she could hold in her hand. However, she forgot to ask for eternal youth. When she reneged on her promise of love, Apollo allowed her to age and to slowly disintegrate until there was nothing left of her except her voice, kept captive in a jar. Trapped by Apollo’s punishment, she longed for death.

This picture is one of many copies of a well known painting by a 17th century Italian master, Giovanni Francesco Romanelli (1610-1662). The Cumaean Sibyl is often shown with a book, symbolizing her way of recording her prophesies, as Romanelli does here. The inscription in the book is quite clearly depicted as “VT NON CONFVNDAR”. The letter “U” is often written as a “V” in ancient inscriptions, and thus the inscription would read today as “Ut Non Confundar.” It can be translated as “Let me not be confused,” a phrase taken from the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament. Perhaps this sentiment applies to the Cumaean Sibyl, but this specific phrase is more commonly associated with St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, who was martyred by the Romans in the 3rd century. According to Christian legend, she sang this psalm as she persevered in maintaining her virtue, even though forced into marriage. Some Christian scholars of the past believed that the Cumaean Sibyl’s writings actually held prophesies of the Messiah, and so she was sometimes depicted with Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah (as Michelangelo did on the Sistine Chapel ceiling). Whether the artist intended to refer to her as a messianic oracle or as St. Cecilia pleading for guidance, we do not know.

This painting was conserved by Sara Jo Boesen at SJ Fine Art Conservation in 2025 with funds provided by the Community Betterment Grant from Prairie Meadows.