Sibyl

The highly refined Sibyls, which in the Pistoia pulpit punctuate the sharp tension of the Gothic arches with tapering linear rhythms of a calm musicality - accentuated by the smooth transparency of the surfaces - are undoubtedly among the highest creations of Italian Gothic and reveal Pisano's perfect knowledge of the most advanced European artistic culture. The surfaces, almost soft wax, seem to take shape solely by virtue of the breath of light, whose dazzling pulse isolates the images, heightening their extraordinary emotional possibilities.