Secondary sourcePainting1511
The Parnassus
Raphael · 1511
A fresco by Raphael showing poets and Muses gathered around Apollo on Mount Parnassus, with Virgil among the laurel-crowned poets.
Virgil appears here as one of the laurel-crowned poets honored on Mount Parnassus, centuries after his death.
About this source
What it is
This fresco was painted by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael around 1511. It shows Apollo, the god of poetry and music, playing an instrument on Mount Parnassus, surrounded by the nine Muses and a group of celebrated poets, including Virgil.
Why it matters
The fresco was painted long after Virgil died, so it is not a true likeness of him. Instead, it shows how Renaissance artists and scholars imagined the greatest poets of the ancient and modern world gathered together, honouring Virgil as one of the most important poets of all time.
Look closer
- Why might Raphael have chosen to paint poets from different eras together in one imaginary scene?
- What does placing Virgil among this group tell us about how he was remembered centuries after his death?
- What is missing from this image that a true portrait might include?
This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Virgil on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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