Copy after Rafael: The school of Athens

The scene depicts the central figures of Plato and Aristotle walking through a monumental arched hall, surrounded by various schools of thought. To the left, Pythagoras writes in a large book, while to the right, Euclid demonstrates a geometric theorem with a compass. This 1912 copy utilizes loose, expressive brushstrokes that give the monumental composition a sketch-like, modern quality compared to the precise lines of the Renaissance original.

This composition is the primary visual representation of the 'prisca theologia' or 'ancient theology'—the Renaissance Neoplatonic belief that a single thread of divine wisdom was shared by sages across history. It captures the intellectual synthesis of the High Renaissance, reconciling pagan philosophy with the Christian humanism of the papal court.