This is one of the three scenes devoted to the death of Socrates as narrated by Plato in Phaedo, for which Canova drew inspiration from Cesarotti’s translation, depicting them as a kind of layman’s Stations of the Cross. The artist does not indulge in narration, indeed, he eliminates all decorative elements and focuses entirely on tersely rendering the episode, with the intention of representing the classical spirit that is the well-spring of his art.

The bas-relief was reproduced in an engraving by Pietro Fontana (engraver) and Joseph Collingnon (draughtsman): copperplate etching retouched with burin; 264 x 500 mm.