Pietro Perugino, Eternal among Angels, Prophets and Sibyls

Description

Without a shadow of a doubt, the characters identified in the present composition are exactly those that Perugino – at the suggestion of Maturanzio – wanted to insert in the context. In fact,  each figure bears its own name in the area under the feet; moreover, except for the prophet Jeremiah, each one carries a scroll with written phrases that have traditionally been attributed to him. From left to right, under the prophets, we read the inscriptions: ISAIAS (Isaiah), MOSES (Moses), DANIEL (Daniel), DAVID (David), HIEREMIAS (Jeremiah) and SALOMON (Solomon), then, the sibyls ERITREA (Eritrea), PERSICA (Persica), CVMANA (Cumae), LIBICA (Libyan), TIBVRTINA (Tiburtina) and DELPHIC (Delphic). The cartouche of Isaiah bears the inscription "EGCE VIRGO COCIPIE (?) (Here is the Virgin who will conceive (?)); that of Moses "ORIETVR (?] / STELLA EX IAC ..." (Will the star rise (?) from ...); David's, "VIRTVS DE TERRA / OPTA / EST" (Virtue has risen from the earth), Solomon's "INFIRMATVS [?] ES" (has been weakened); Eritrea, "OMNIA VERBO / AGENS" (He (?) who does everything with the word); Persica, "FLVC" (variously interpreted: probably:  The light will come), Tiburtina, "QVINQVE / PANIBVS SIMVL" (With five loaves together); Delphic, "IVDICABIT MOR/ TVOS" (He will judge the dead).