The School of Athens

A photograph of a drawing by Parmigianino now in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle (RCIN 990533). The drawing reproduces the composition of Raphael's 'School of Athens', but with a few significant differences including the absence of the figure of Heraclitus in the centre foreground. The Windsor sheet also differs from Raphael's cartoon (Ambrosiana, Milan) in a few details (i.e., the inclusion of the relief of Philosophy in the architecture to the right). It has been suggested that the Windsor sheet may be a copy after a lost drawing by Raphael. For further discussion, see Bibliographic References.