Raphael, The School of Athens, begun 1509; Vatican Museums (2) (48759107407)

In the lower foreground, the mathematician Euclid leans over a slate, using a compass to demonstrate a geometric proof to a group of attentive students. To his right, the figures of Zoroaster and Ptolemy stand holding celestial and terrestrial globes, representing the study of the cosmos and the earth. Diogenes the Cynic is shown reclining in isolation on the marble steps, separating the groups of active scientists from the contemplative philosophers above.

This work is the definitive visual expression of the Renaissance synthesis of classical thought, known as Prisca Sapientia. It maps the lineage of Western natural philosophy, placing mathematical certainty and astronomical observation as essential foundations for understanding the divine structure of the universe.