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Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original filePlato, depicted with the features of Leonardo da Vinci, points upward toward the celestial realm of forms while holding his cosmological dialogue, the Timaeus. Beside him, Aristotle gestures toward the ground with a flat palm, signifying his focus on empirical observation and the physical world as he carries his Ethics. They are framed by a massive triumphal arch, serving as the focal point of a larger gathering of ancient thinkers.
This central grouping represents the Renaissance effort to reconcile Neoplatonic idealism with Aristotelian natural philosophy. The Timaeus, held by Plato, was the foundational text for Renaissance esoteric cosmology, describing the mathematical creation of the world and the 'anima mundi' or world-soul.
TIMEO ETICA
Translation
Timaeus Ethics
Plato, Timaeus
The book held by Plato was the primary source for Renaissance theories on sacred geometry and the origin of the cosmos.
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's Latin translation of the Timaeus and his work in the Platonic Academy provided the intellectual framework for this depiction of Plato.
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
The book held by Aristotle represents the foundational text for Renaissance moral and natural philosophy.
Object
Fresco
allegory
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Raphael, The School of Athens, begun 1509; Vatican Museums (1)
5472 × 3648 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.