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Secondary sourcePainting1472

Triumph of St. Thomas Aquinas

Benozzo Gozzoli · 1472

A 1472 altarpiece by Benozzo Gozzoli depicting Thomas Aquinas enthroned between Aristotle and Plato with Averroes defeated at his feet.

This altarpiece shows Aquinas triumphing intellectually over Aristotle, Plato, and Averroes, the classic image of his legacy.

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Large altarpiece painting in an arched gold frame. At top, Christ blesses within a red and gold sunburst, surrounded by evangelists and prophets. Center, a black-robed friar holds an open book with gold halo. Philosophers flank him, and kneeling figures fill the lower register.
Benozzo Gozzoli, Triumph of St. Thomas Aquinas, 1472. Department of Paintings, Louvre, Paris.

About this source

What it is

This large altarpiece was painted by Benozzo Gozzoli in 1472 and is now held in the Department of Paintings of the Louvre. It shows a black-robed friar with a halo holding an open book, flanked by philosophers, with Christ blessing from above and kneeling figures below.

Why it matters

The painting places Aquinas between the ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato, with the Muslim philosopher Averroes shown defeated at his feet. It reflects how Aquinas was remembered as the thinker who combined Christian faith with classical philosophy, and who, in the eyes of later Christian artists, triumphed over rival interpretations of that philosophy.

Look closer

  • Why might the artist choose to show Aquinas between Aristotle and Plato?
  • What does placing Averroes defeated at Aquinas's feet suggest about how different thinkers were judged at the time?
  • What is left out of this image about the real intellectual debates Aquinas engaged in?

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

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Painted altarpiece panel with a gold background. Christ is enthroned at the top within a pointed arch. Below, four evangelist-like figures hold open books. A central monk in black habit holds an open book inscribed with text, surrounded by a dark circle with golden rays. Figures in red and black robes flank him, and a crowd of people with halos and a kneeling figure appear at the bottom.Painting

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Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas

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