Raphael Sanzio, an Italian Renaissance, was invited by the Pope Julius II to live in Rome, and decorate the apartments located in the second floor of the Vatican Palace ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’"). In particular was Raphael’s fresco, The School of Athens that symbolized the marriage of art, philosophy, and science ("School Of Athens, Raphael: Analysis, Interpretation"). This was the hallmark of the Italian Renaissance. It was painted between 1509 and 1511 and is located in the first four rooms that were designed by Raphael. At the time of the painting, a commission by the pope was at the apex of any artist’s career. The painting validated Raphael’s already burgeoning career. The School of Athens was located on one of the four walls in the Stanza della Segnatura; a room set to be Julius’ library and balanced the contents of what was the pope’s study.
In the 15th Century, painters decorated libraries with portraits of great thinkers. Raphael upgraded this thinking with a massive composition that reflected theology, literature, philosophy, and jurisprudence which immediately transmitted the pope’s intellect ("School Of Athens, Raphael: Analysis, Interpretation"). The School of Athens was Raphael’s third painting after Disputa which represented theology and Parnassus which represented literature. The School of Athens represented an intellectual concept where one grouping of figures portray a complex lesson on philosophy history and the different beliefs developed by the Greek philosophers. Two main figures placed directly under the archway are two men who represent the different schools of philosophy, i.e., Plato and Aristotle, each holding a copy of their books in their left hand ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’").
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According to philosophy, Plato’s gesture towards the sky means that the real world is a spiritual realm of ideas that are filled with abstract ideas and concepts, and not a physical one ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’"). On the other hand, Aristotle’s hand visualizes his belief that knowledge emanates from his experience ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’"). Some scholars argue that the central placement of the philosophies is the core theme of the painting. To the left of Plato is Socrates surrounded by his students ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’"). In the foreground sits Pythagoras surrounded by his students, famously known for his scientific and mathematical discoveries ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’").
Other philosophers represented in the portrait include Euclid, Ptolemy, Diogenes, and Heraclitus ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’"). Euclid is seen bending, demonstrating something with a compass with his young, eager students trying to grasp the lesson. He is known as the father of geometry and represents Aristotle’s side of the School of Athens. Right next to Euclid is Ptolemy, holding a terrestrial globe in his hand. Ptolemy is known as a great astronomer and mathematician. Diogenes is seen sitting at the staircase and is known to be the founder of Cynic philosophy. Heraclitus is seen as the brooding man seated in the foreground in a classic thinker position. Philosophers see Heraclitus as the pioneer of self-taught wisdom. Two large statues are seen in the portrait, Apollo on Plato’s right and Minerva on Aristotle’ left ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’"). Apollo was the god of light, music, truth, and healing while Minerva was the goddess of wisdom and justice ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’"). Minerva represents moral philosophy side of the portrait while Apollo represents literature and poetry ("The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’").
References
"School Of Athens, Raphael: Analysis, Interpretation". Visual-Arts-Cork.Com, 2018, http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/school-of-athens.htm. Accessed 7 Nov 2018 .
"The Story Behind Raphael’S Masterpiece ‘The School Of Athens’". My Modern Met, 2018, https://mymodernmet.com/school-of-athens-raphael/. Accessed 7 Nov 2018.
