Kopf des Jünglings aus der Gruppe um Euklid oder Archimedes in Raffaels Schule von Athen c. 1508 - 1509

This is Corona Schröter's delicate rendering of a young man's head, drawn from Raphael's "The School of Athens." Notice the classical curls framing the face, a direct echo of ancient Greek sculptures. These curls are not merely decorative; they evoke the intellectual and philosophical ideals of antiquity, a time revered for its pursuit of knowledge. Think of the countless depictions of Apollo, the god of reason, similarly adorned. Yet, here, the youth's closed eyes suggest contemplation, an inner world detached from the clamor of the Athenian academy. This inward gaze—this *pathos formula*—resonates through centuries, appearing in countless portraits of thinkers and poets, each lost in thought, each grappling with the mysteries of existence. This recurring motif speaks to our collective memory, a shared understanding of what it means to be wise, to be thoughtful, to be human. The symbol of the curly hair resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.