ITALIAN RENAISSANCE: 'THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS' BY RAPHAEL

 

 The School of Athens, by Raphael (1509-11) (fresco)

About The Piece

Artist: Raffaello Sanzio Da Urbino (famously known as Raphael)

Raphael is a Renaissance artist and architect who was born in Urbino, Italy in 1483. Raphael was inspired to art and learned how to paint from his father, Giovanni Santi, who was an artist for Federigo da Montefeltro. When Raphael was eight years old, he was placed in the studio of an Italian Renaissance as an apprentice at Perugino's studio. He eventually took over his father's workshop when his father had pass in 1494. Raphael was taught by a royal painter in Urbino, Timoteo Viti, then eventually relocated to Florence to produce frescos for the Libreria Piccolomini. 

The Art: The School of Athens 

Raphael painted The School of Athens roughly in the year 1509. He was one of "The Big Three", and considered as one of the High Renaissance masters. When Raphael relocated to Rome, The School of Athens was part of the commissioned artworks by Pope Julius II. The piece is painted on the East wall of the Philosophy Room. The painting focuses on the Greek philosophy, of Plato and Aristotle. 

Art Elements

Shape

The artwork is composed of many geometric shapes, triangles, squares, pentagons, and circles. The shapes are flat (2-dimensional) but make up most of the details for the piece. The arches in the painting represent continuous movement, adding dimension to the painting. In addition, the combination of tone and dimensions creates an illusion of the piece.  

Lines

There are many curved lines in the piece, especially the arches, presenting comfort and ease. Horizontal lines are used to add distance so that the painting goes deeper as well as the illusion of the stair steps. The walls and pillars are constructed from vertical lines to represent the height and strength of the building. 

Color

Raphael uses light colors for the background and a mixture of dark and vibrant colors for the people in the painting. The dark and vibrant colors make the crowd of people stand out the most. Dark colors and tones are mainly used on the edges of the painting. The gold colors of the repeated Greek key (meander) motif with a black background significantly show that the piece is Italian. 

Emotions

At first glance, the painting seems chaotic and rowdy because there is a crowd of people in the center view. There are many emotions within the painting depending on where and who you're observing. The man in the middle with his arm on a box seems exhausted as well as the man in the upper right corner that's leaning his head against the wall. Observing the man in the lower left makes me feel relaxed and calm since he's really into the book that he's holding. The small group on the lower right makes me curious as to what they're looking at. They seem to be having an off-topic and on-topic discussion of the item on the floor. 

Influences

Humanism 

According to Art In Context, Raphael's artwork had a central theme of "human knowledge". The components of humanism include Philosophy, Theology, Poetry, and Justice. In this case, The School of Athens had the theme of Philosophy. To represent the classical scientist and philosophers, the painting consists of standing, sitting, calculating, and contemplating men. With the closer observation of the men in the middle, each is holding a book, Plato's Timaeus (left) and Aristotle's Ethics (right). All the figures in the painting are Raphael's acquaintances, scholars, scientists, and philosophers. 

Citations 

Artincontext, Art in Context. “‘The School of Athens’ Raphael - a Brief ‘the School of Athens’ Analysis.” Artincontext.Org, 5 Apr. 2023, artincontext.org/the-school-of-athens-raphael/.

Arty Factory. “Italian Renaissance Art.” Italian Renaissance Art, www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/italian-renaissance/italian-renaissance-art.html. Accessed 16 June 2023.

Pulimood, Steven. “School of Athens.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 17 May 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/School-of-Athens.