Aspasia, a concubine of Pericles, was renowned for her beauty as much as for her mind. She had regular talks with Socrates, who is depicted in red, and trained numerous pupils in the art of oratory. Up until the reign of Louis-Philippe, many works (paintings, furniture, drawings, etc.) borrowed the composition of Corneille or used the same figures of Aspasia and Socrates, testifying to the great acclaim received by this work.