The Caryatides from the Stanza dell' Eliodoro

The image displays an outline of the central fresco where Heliodorus is struck down by a celestial horseman and two youths as he attempts to plunder the Temple. Below the narrative scene, a row of monochromatic caryatids and herms are shown as they would appear on the lower architectural dado of the room. These female figures personify virtues such as Abundance, Law, and Religion, framing the entrance to the papal chambers.

Raphael's decoration of the Vatican Stanze represents the High Renaissance synthesis of biblical history, classical form, and Neoplatonic philosophy. The inclusion of the Menorah and the focus on the sanctity of the Temple of Jerusalem connect to the intellectual interests of the 'prisca theologia,' where Renaissance humanists like Egidio da Viterbo sought to reconcile Hebrew antiquity with Christian theology.