William French (1815-1898), Raphael und Michel Angelo, Stahlstich, nach J. Kirner

This engraving shows Raphael standing elegantly in the center of an inn, gesturing towards the locals, while a solitary Michelangelo sits brooding at a small table to the right. The room is filled with peasants in traditional Ciociaro costume, eating and drinking, highlighting a dramatic contrast between the two legendary artists and the common folk. Sunlight streams through an arched window, illuminating the social Raphael and leaving the pensive Michelangelo in partial shadow.

This 19th-century work reflects the romanticized legacy of the High Renaissance and the Neoplatonic concept of the artist's temperament. It visualizes the historical trope of the 'divine' Raphael representing solar harmony and the active life, contrasted with Michelangelo as the archetype of the saturnine, melancholic genius.