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Secondary sourceSculpturec. 1787-1790

Socrates Taking Leave of His Family

Antonio Canova · c. 1787-1790

A marble relief by Antonio Canova showing Socrates saying farewell to his family in prison before his death.

A later artwork imagining Socrates' farewell to his family before his execution, based on Plato's account.

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White marble-toned relief sculpture showing Socrates taking leave of his family in a prison. Socrates stands center-right in a doorway clasping hands with a woman. A small child is held by a woman at left, a young child crouches at far left with a chain, and an old man sits at right with two seated men beside him, one bowed and one bare-chested.
Antonio Canova, Socrates Taking Leave of His Family, c. 1787-1790. Marble relief.

About this source

What it is

This marble relief was made by the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova between 1787 and 1790. It depicts a scene from Plato's dialogue Phaedo, showing Socrates taking leave of his family inside his prison cell shortly before his execution.

Why it matters

Canova based the scene on a translated account of Plato's writing about Socrates' final hours. The work is part of a set of neoclassical reliefs that turned Socrates' last days into solemn, almost ceremonial images, showing how his death became a model of dignity and philosophical calm for later generations.

Look closer

  • What does the clasping of hands between Socrates and the woman suggest about the moment?
  • Why might the artist include children and an older man in this scene?
  • What parts of the real story might this image leave out or simplify?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Socrates on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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