Ellis Bishop (Nationality, birth-death), copying Raphael The School of Athens, date
Oil on canvas Canvas: 45.5” x 65.5” Frame: 56” x 76.5”
Nameplate: Raphael / The School of Athens / Copied in oils from Vatican original / Presented by Mrs. Ellis Bishop
In a remarkable copy of Raphael’s most famous work The School of Athens, we see notable Greek figures gathered around Plato and Aristotle. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are two respected artists that can be found in this group of figures, and are depicted as Plato and Heraclitus. Raphael subtly includes a portrait of himself, hidden on the far right as the man with a black beret. Raphael’s original work is located in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City as part of a series of rooms called the Stanza di Rafaello, which translates to “The Raphael Rooms.”
Provenance: Joseph Burnett, Southborough, Massachusetts Donated from previous to San Francisco State University, 1930, displayed in their library until the 1970s. Revere Auctions, Wordly Delights: Fine Jewels, Art, and Decorations, May 16, 2023, Lot 193 Private Collection, Utah
