The image depicts the reaction of the Sibyl on reading of Christ's impending fate, and is one of the most striking from the chapel project. It has become an enduring icon down through the centuries.

For many years, the ceiling bore only dark and gloomy colours, which experts agreed accurately reflected the temperament of Michaelangelo, who, carrying out the work under pressure from the Vatican, protested his true vocation lay in sculpture and architecture.

But in 1991 a seven year restoration began to show that beneath the layers of candle soot and grime was an astonishing display of brilliant colours, which put the entire project, and the painter himself, in an entirely different light.

The composition of this beautful portion of the overall painting, the colours used, and the seemingly infinite depth of emotion contained within the eyes, as well as the sheer elegance of line and form, give her a universal appeal.

Click on the hyperlink for more information on Michaelangelo and the Sistine Chapel ceiling.