When thinking of great paintings of 16th century
Italy, The School of Athens is the first one that pops into my head; and I think it’s because
of the feeling of nostalgia that sets in, for a place and for subjects I’ve never met.
It showcases Raphael’s meticulous technique, and represents complex lessons of
history in a visually satisfying way. This monumental fresco was
completed between 1509 and 1511, and is on one of the four walls of the Stanza
Della Segnatura Room at the Vatican Museum, now named “Raphael’s Rooms”;
Each wall has a central theme, visually depicting a faculty of human knowledge;
Philosophy, Theology, Poetry, and Justice. Looking at The School of Athens, It feels
as if we can take a step, and join in on the stimulating conversations of the greatest
philosophical minds the world has ever known. It intrigues me to look a bit longer, and perhaps continue learning about the field
of Philosophy even after leaving the museum. Raphael Sanzio was one of the top
three masters of the high renaissance, along with Leonardo da Vinci and
Michelangelo. Although he is not regarded as a great innovator in the same
sense as his revered peers, he remains an artist at the apex of the high renaissance period
because of the way he portrayed his subjects; often noble individuals that move across
the canvas with dignity and grace. He is an artist worth knowing today because
of this. He created harmonious spaces for his subjects through his compositions. They seem
imbued with an energy that makes it possible for them to twist and turn; so beautiful in
their movement, yet inherently projecting calm. His rivals at the time, Michelangelo and da Vinci
inspired Raphael. He experimented with da Vinci’s artistic styles of Sfumato—softening
the transition between colours—and Chiaroscuro—contrast between light and dark.
The two individuals differ in artistic styles however. Da Vinci considered the human body to be
the most beautiful subject in the natural world, and we can see that in many pieces of his
oeuvre; an adoration of anatomy. Raphael on the other hand is admired for how clearly he
depicts form, and ease of composition. From Michelangelo, Raphael drew
inspiration from setting, and subjects. At first glance these two pieces might
look similar, but upon closer inspection, we can see that composition, color palette,
and brushstrokes differ greatly, conveying contrasting feelings in the viewers. At times, Raphael was accused of plagiarism; yet
he didn’t necessarily copy from what inspired him, but merely learned from other masters. Through
witnessing their works, he created his own unique personal style that art lover across the world
are learning about today, 5 centuries later. The School of Athens was a validation
of Raphael’s already blossoming career. It symbolizes the marriage of Philosophy, Science,
and Art—a true mark of the Italian Renaissance. Raphael was commissioned by Pope Julius
the Second to paint the interior walls of his Palatial Suites — The Stanza
della Segnatura rooms. It is believed that the Italian architect, Donato Bramante
recommended Raphael as they were close friends. At the time, Bramante was working on architectural
plans to redesign St. Peter’s Basilica. This is also when Michelangelo was painting
the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel. This room was used as the Pope’s study; we can even see his library here,
remaining to this day (Underneath). It was also the meeting place for The Supreme Tribunal of
the apostolic Signature—the most powerful judicial body of the Catholic Church—and so whatever
Raphael would deem appropriate to be painted, could potentially influence some of the
most important decision made by this group. Raphael painted the four walls in the style
of Fresco—A technique of painting murals with water-based pigments on freshly applied
plaster. The School of Athens was painted on the East Wall and represents a scene filled with men
debating, ruminating and sharing their knowledge. Unlike Plato’s Academy, The school of Athens
is not based on a real school in history. Rather, it’s a scene created by Raphael’s
imagination of a “Utopian” community where great scholars congregate in one place to
share their ideas and learn from one another. The room is filled with light, coming from
the peering blue sky in the background. The domed area above, the checkered floors below,
and the height-varying pillars give this entire scene levels and a decadent visual sense. Our eyes
are immediately drawn to the centre of the Fresco, where two men stand alongside one
another. This point is known as the “Vanishing point”—the space in a piece of
art where all lines converge; a trick of the eye that creates a three-dimensional
look in a two-dimensional work of art. The two men at the centre have been identified
to be Plato and Aristotle. Each perspective philosopher is holding bound copies of their books
in their left hands, “Timaeus” and "Nicomachean Ethics.” They each gesture with their right hands,
denoting their respective philosophical beliefs. Plato points to the sky with his index finger,
showing his “Theory of Forms” — the philosophical belief that the real world is not one
we are able to see. It is believed that Raphael modelled Platos’ face after Leonardo
da Vinci based on the observable similarities. On the right stands Aristotle, gesturing forward
with an open palm facing down, parallel to the floor. His philosophies look into the physical and
the natural concrete realm of existence. His hand is a visual representation of that; the belief
in knowledge that comes from one’s experiences. As we zoom out, we can see 56 other figures the
identities of which have always been hypothetical since Raphael made no designations or written
validation outside possible similarities, to explain the painting. To complicate things
further, Raphael had to invent a system of iconography to depict various subjects
of whom no visual images were available. Experts agree on the identities of SOME of
the subjects that we will discuss today, but the majority of the figures are thought to
be philosophers whose identities we are less certain of; peers and students who
gather around better recognized figures. In the far left foreground sits Pythagoras—the
ancient greek philosopher and mathematician—who believed in metempsychosis—the philosophy
that the soul is immortal and upon death, it moves to a new physical body. To his
right is a brooding man, hand under his chin, in the classic Rodin “Thinker” pose. This figure
was long thought to be a portrait of Michelangelo which matched the artists’s standoffish
characteristics. However, it is now thought to be Heracleitus—the pessimist philosopher—whose
face only resembles Michelangelo’s. The older gentleman below Aristotle, resting
on the steps is believed to be Diogenes—the founder of Cynic philosophy—a controversial figure
in that time period, perhaps explaining why he is companionless. Mirroring Pythagoras’s position is
a bent over Euclid—the greek mathematician known to be the father of geometry. Experts believe
that Euclid was modelled after Raphael’s friend and architect Bramante who referred him for
this very commission. Euclid is surrounded by his students, Zoroaster holding a heavenly
sphere, and Ptolemy holding an earthly sphere. Nestled in between, is a man wearing a black
beret. His features closely resemble Raphael’s and so it is thought to be a self-portrait of
the artist. His gaze is directed towards us; looking beyond the scene into the
eyes of the viewer. At the time, such self-portraiture was uncommon. It was a bold
move for Raphael to include his likeness here, among some of the most influential
scholars of philosophy in history. In the background, we can see two large statues. On Plato’s side, we can Apollo recognized by his
lyre, who represents Natural Philosophy as the god of light, music, truth and healing. To the right
of Aristotle, we see Athena—the goddess of wisdom and war. She is holding a shield with the head
of Medusa in one hand, and a spear in the other. We can see how Raphael has intentionally
chosen where to put his subjects—the scholars and the statues—according to their beliefs.
Abstract philosophy vs. Empirical philosophy; Belief in Ideas, and belief in Form. The architecture of this setting is
greek-inspired. We can see a meander—an infinite series of rectangular bends—in the main
arch which comes from ancient greek pottery. What’s interesting is that even though
this painting is full of subjects occupying every corner, it is not
exhausting to look at; not in the least. Here, Raphael uses muted tones as seen
in the men’s robes, and subdued colours that guide our gaze gently across every
inch. He uses light falling down from the exposed ceiling in a realistic manner
to further illuminate each brushstroke. The School of Athens, measuring 26 by 9 feet,
is a testament to Raphael’s talents. His work was described by his friends as having “a certain
nonchalance which conceals all artistry and makes whatever one says or does seem uncontrived and
effortless.”Raphael did this through practice, extensively drawing his vision,
and planning the compositions. Upon beginning a piece of work, he would start
out by laying out his sketches on the floor, and drawing rapidly. Once this step was completed,
he would make scaled-up, full sized cartoons to help transfer the designs onto the wet plaster
on the walls. Even his preliminary drawings had a high degree of finish, and included shading
and highlights; truly exemplifying the meticulous care that Raphael dedicated to his craft. He
was an artist from start to finish. Although he was technically gifted, he was often more
known for his rooms rather than his paintings. This work displays the importance of relationships
between the figures of a painting. Through the use of linear perspectives, choice of subjects, colour palette,
and tone, Raphael creates a welcoming scene that inspires thought and discovery. As a spectator,
it appears almost like a theatrical stage, ready to take you in to contribute to
the conversations that are being had. Raphael passed away at the young age of 37. In his
final years, we can see that his artistic style continued to develop. One notable change was his
use of female models in his preparatory drawings. He was one of the first artists to do that,
as at the time male pupils were normally used to depict all people. Yet, despite these
changes, his oeuvre was rather consistent; all including underlying geometric structures, and an
unwearied level of study on each subject painted. I believe that’s why The School of
Athens is one of the most important symbols of the Italian Renaissance period.
It leaves viewers space for contemplation; both visually and in tone. And isn’t
that what great art is supposed to do? Allow viewers to consider a new
perspective after they walk away?
