The Ecstasy of Beauty

In light of the 'Raphael: Sublime Poetry' exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art this Olio will explore questions such as what is the connection between beauty and philosophy? 

This Olio offers a guided appreciation of the main works in the Met’s Raphael exhibition, providing historical context and a philosophical thread that connects each key piece—so that moving through the galleries becomes, in effect, a lesson in how Raphael makes the intellect emanate through vision.

Professor Adluri introduces Raphael as the Renaissance master who makes an audacious claim with paint: beauty is not mere sensation, but a mode of truth. 

This Olio frames Raphael’s art through a philosophy where visible harmony becomes a pathway to the invisible, where proportion, clarity, and grace train the mind toward higher reality. A hallmark of Raphael’s genius is that his use of proportion, forms, and colors does more than represent bodies: it suggests an inner order, as if form itself were an argument. In this vision, beauty is not simply what pleases the eye; it educates desire, drawing the viewer from surface appearance toward the intelligible principles that our intellect naturally seeks.

After the Olio we'll facilitate a group trip to the MET at a later date with people from this class so that we can enjoy the exhibit with our newfound perspective.

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Raphael: Sublime Poetry exhibit is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY through June 28th, 2026.  In Time Out’s words, the exhibit is a “once-in-a-generation” event—offering a rare chance to see Raphael at full scale: incredible paintings, drawings, and ambitious designs that showcase his range, speed, and polish as much as for his famous sweetness and grace. The New York Times calls it a true blockbuster—rapturous, even—while The Wall Street Journal raves about its staggering versatility across media and the clarity of its biographical sweep. The Washington Post likewise calls it a major event, Hyperallergic admires the feat of securing the loans and the exhibition’s sense of historic arrival, and Artnet News admires the show’s seriousness while suggesting Raphael’s radiance reads best when the era’s power and politics are allowed to cast a faint shadow across the beauty. Frieze echoes these superlatives, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime chance.”

Evening Flow

7:00 PM – Doors open. Settle in, grab a drink, and meet a friend.
7:30 PM – The Olio begins: an intimate, interactive lecture and guided exploration.
8:30 PM – Instead of a traditional Q&A, we shift into a social experience—discussing ideas with others in the room while the teacher joins and floats between conversations.
10:00 PM - Last call at the bar and we'll start to wind down the evening.