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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileA young figure is shown kneeling in a simple tunic, his body angled as he gazes toward the heavens. His hands are held in a delicate gesture of supplication or awe, and his facial expression conveys a state of deep spiritual focus. The drawing is executed with fine, precise lines, showcasing a meticulous attention to light and the human form.
This figure embodies the Renaissance Neoplatonic concept of the soul's ascent toward the divine through contemplation. The upward gaze, or 'conversio', reflects the intellectual turning of the human spirit back toward its celestial source, a theme central to the thought of Marsilio Ficino and his circle.
Marsilio Ficino
The figure's posture illustrates the Neoplatonic 'ascensus', where the human soul rises through the spheres toward the One via contemplative prayer.
Plato - Phaedrus
The upward gaze of the youth serves as a visual metaphor for the 'recollecting' of divine truths through the beauty of form.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://collections.ashmolean.org/
800 × 1192 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.