The School of Athens
Raphael 1509-1511
"The School of Athens" was painted in some time between 1509 and 1511 by Renaissance artist Raphael. The young artist was personally invited by Pope Julius II to paint in the Vatican along with Michaelangelo. It is one of the four frescoes on the walls of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Each wall represents a different meaning with this one being "philosophy." This painting is significant because it incorporates the High Renaissance fresco technique. The work is a visual embodiment of the Renaissance adoption of humanism.
This painting is a depiction of famous greek philosophers, scholars, and artists. Raphael uses perspective when painting this price to draw the viewers gaze to the center. The two figures in the center are Plato(left) and Aristotle(right). Surrounding Plato and Aristotle are clusters of other scholars discussing important matters. Even though this painting is not symmetric; Raphael does a good job of making it balanced on both sides. Raphael also included the statue of Apollo and Minerva in the painting. Apollo was the Greek god for music, art, and healing and Minerva was the goddess of wisdom and justice. This painting embodies the Renaissance as a whole because you see scholars writing and reading books. This was the time of enlightenment where philosophy and education was highly valued.
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