Raphael, The School of Athens, begun 1509; Vatican Museums (3) (48759103792)

At the center of a monumental barrel-vaulted hall, Plato and Aristotle walk together while debating; Plato points upward toward the realm of ideas, while Aristotle gestures toward the earth. To the left, Pythagoras demonstrates mathematical ratios on a slate, while to the right, Euclid uses a compass to draw a geometric figure. The composition organizes various schools of thought into a harmonious visual hierarchy, featuring statues of Apollo and Minerva in the niches.

This fresco is the definitive visual statement of High Renaissance humanism and the Neoplatonic effort to synthesize classical philosophy with Christian theology. It specifically celebrates the 'Concordia' between the divergent systems of Plato and Aristotle, reflecting the intellectual priorities of the papal court under Julius II.