It was during David's first trip to Rome that he began to study the depiction of funerary scenes and to draw many examples. Many of David’s major works stem from these funerary drawings.[6] In this painting, David examines a philosopher's approach to death. Socrates is stoic and calm because he sees death as a separate, actual realm, a different state of being from life but not an end to being.[7] In fact, in Phaedo, Socrates seems more concerned with how Crito will handle his death than with his own well-being.[8] In the painting, Socrates's gesture shows us that he still teaching, even in the moment before his death. It is said that this gesture was inspired by the poet Andre Chenier.[9]