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Original fileAt the center of the composition, Plato and Aristotle walk forward through a series of massive Roman arches. Plato points toward the heavens to represent his focus on abstract ideas, while Aristotle gestures toward the earth to emphasize empirical observation. Surrounding them on various levels are dozens of thinkers engaged in study, including Pythagoras with his musical ratios and Euclid demonstrating geometry with a compass.
This work is the definitive visual representation of Renaissance humanism and the Neoplatonic synthesis of ancient wisdom. It maps the lineage of the Western intellectual tradition, harmonizing the metaphysical inquiries of the Hermetic and Platonic traditions with the natural philosophy of the Aristotelian school.
TIMEO ETICA
Translation
Timaeus Ethics
Plato's Timaeus
Plato holds a copy of this cosmological dialogue, which was a foundational text for Renaissance Neoplatonism and sacred geometry.
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
Aristotle carries a copy of his work on moral philosophy, representing the grounded, ethical application of knowledge.
Pythagoras
The figure of Pythagoras is shown in the foreground illustrating the harmonic ratios that govern the cosmos.
Object
Oil on panel
allegory
Linked Data
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