Drei Figuren aus der _Schule von Athen_ (Stanza della Segnatura) c. 1510 - 1512

This sanguine drawing by Raphael at the Städel Museum captures figures for his fresco, _The School of Athens_. Three men occupy the pictorial space: one holds a sphere aloft, another leans forward, while the third sits in contemplation. The composition plays with depth and layering, organizing the figures to create a sense of spatial hierarchy and engagement. Raphael uses hatching techniques to model the forms, focusing on musculature, drapery, and facial expressions. Note the use of line and shadow to convey volume and texture. The artist models the figures, yet they remain unfinished, emphasizing the artistic process over a completed image. This work destabilizes the boundaries between sketch and artwork, between an idea and its execution. Here, we witness the artist's intellectual and physical engagement with classical thought, transformed into a visual poetics of form. Raphael explores the very structures of knowledge and representation.