The School of Athens (Scuola di Atene), Vatican Museums • Musei Vaticani (32924104278)

At the center of a vast vaulted hall, Plato points upward while holding his 'Timaeus' and Aristotle gestures toward the earth holding his 'Ethics.' Below them on the steps and in the foreground, figures like Pythagoras, Euclid, and Diogenes engage in study and demonstration. Two large statues of Apollo and Athena stand in niches, overlooking the various groups representing the liberal arts.

This work serves as a visual synthesis of Neoplatonism and Aristotelianism, reflecting the Renaissance goal of harmonizing classical philosophy with Christian theology. It embodies the concept of 'Prisca Theologia'—the idea that a single, ancient true theology exists which flows through all great pagan thinkers.