Diogenes of Sinope (ca.412 - 323BC) was a Greek Cynic philosopher. He is depicted here with his lighted lantern, which he used during the day in his search for an “honest man” in the streets of Athens, indicating his general contempt for humanity. The figure’s meditative expression is comparable to depictions of saints and apostles from the previous century. Images of this type are characteristic of the philosophical-scientific culture that flourished in the eighteenth century.