The School of Athens by Raphael (5986706095)

At the center of the composition, Plato points upward to the celestial realm while Aristotle gestures downward toward the earth. Surrounding them are various groups of thinkers engaged in debate and study, including Pythagoras demonstrating mathematical ratios on a slate and Euclid measuring with a compass. The scene is set within a massive barrel-vaulted structure decorated with statues of Apollo and Athena.

This fresco represents the high-water mark of Renaissance Neoplatonism, illustrating the harmony between different schools of thought that formed the foundation of Western natural philosophy and esotericism. It visually embodies the concept of 'prisca theologia' (ancient theology) by grouping figures like Zoroaster and Pythagoras alongside Greek philosophers, a synthesis central to the work of Marsilio Ficino.