Raphael, one of the most famous painters and architects of the Renaissance period, when Europe emerged from the darkness of the Middle Ages and experienced a rapid rise in the subjects of art, science and philosophy, the Athens School painting, or rather the wall fresco, is the painting of Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the famous names of the same period. It was built on the walls of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, inspired by his thoughts on the rebirth of ancient Greek philosophy.
It is possible to encounter a different detail whenever you look at the School of Athens painting, which is considered one of the most outstanding examples of the Renaissance period. That was Raphel’s purpose anyway; To make a work that will show Ancient Greece and the Renaissance period together. Although hundreds of years have passed since we are still talking about it, it seems that it has achieved its purpose. Let’s take a closer look at some important information about the Athenian School painting and its painter Raphael.
Information about the School of Athens painting:
Raphael is the young superstar of the Renaissance:
Raphael, who lived a rather short life from 1483 to 1520. by his full name Raffaell o Sanzio da Urbin; He is one of the youngest figures of the Renaissance era and is considered a superstar. The painter, who created unique works before the School of Athens painting he painted between 1509 and 1511, later painted four more walls in Stanza Della Segnetura.
Different branches of knowledge are represented in the Athens School:
The main theme of the Athens School painting is knowledge. The common feature of the Ancient Greek philosophers in the picture is that they sought knowledge. This is the reason why the name of the painting is Scuola di Atene, the School of Athens. Each figure in the painting has struggled to seek information in different ways during his period. From this point of view, the School of Athens painting is a grouping of the philosophy of knowledge and the ideas of the Ancient Greek philosophers by Raphael.
In the picture, it is possible to meet most of the great Ancient Greek philosophers:
In the painting of the School of Athens, 50 people who studied philosophy and knowledge are depicted. Each of these people is a classical Ancient Greek philosopher, scientist, mathematician, and other seekers of knowledge. Among all these people who were placed using the iconography system, there are many names whose names we have heard in the Ancient Greek world. All these names are grouped according to their thought systems and are depicted as figures that best reflect the ideas they put forward.
Plato and Aristotle are at the center of the painting:
The School of Athens painting consists of more than 21 figures chatting in small groups. Plato and Aristotle are the most prominent and central among these all men. It is thought that the older one of the two pictured side by side is Plato, and the one next to him is his student Aristotle. The couple, who is portrayed in a deep conversation, can see the volumes of Timaeus and Nicomachean Ethics works.
Raphael took the task of drawing the Athens School himself from the pope of the time:
Although it is not known for certain, according to the common opinion of art historians, Raphael painted the walls of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, and the School of Athens. Pope of the time II. Got it from Julius. Although it may seem strange that there are pictures of Ancient Greek philosophers in the Vatican, this work is part of a special theme.
Raphael also worked in different rooms of the palace:
Raphael did not work only in the room in the Apostolic Palace where he painted the School of Athens fresco. He also worked on the walls of the Stanza Della Segnatura room, previously known as the signature room. In this room the most important church documents were signed, sealed and made into law. The signing room was also the pope’s personal library and the meeting room of the Apostolic Signatura High Court. Therefore, the themes Raphael used in the frescoes consisted of law, religion, literature and philosophy.
The School of Athens would almost turn into a huge mess:
The School of Athens painting is a fresco depicting more than 50 people and 21 figures. Years of work have not been easy for Raphael because each person must be a different person. In order to show the differences that would almost turn into a mess, the painter used a different robe detail for each person he painted. In this way, in the following years, art historians were able to conduct much more detailed studies on painting.
Michelangelo and Raphael have something in common:
While Raphael was putting his magical signature on the walls of the Apostolic Palace, Michelangelo, one of the other important names of the Renaissance period, was working in the Sistine Chapel, right next to it. . The common point of the duo is that this task is the Pope of the period, II. It’s because they took it personally from Julius. It was the biggest dream of the artists of the period to receive such a task from the Pope. Receiving the task of drawing from the Pope meant that the painter was now a master.
The School of Athens is part of a broad theme:
Raphael didn’t just paint beautiful things on the walls; he painted a theme of four frescoes that is still debated today. The third painting he completed after Disputa representing theology and Panassus representing literature is the School of Athens representing knowledge. All the frescoes face each other, and when we look at it from this perspective, different disciplines are actually united in a palace in the Vatican.
The School of Athens is an architectural illusion:
According to all experts, the School of Athens painting is actually an architectural illusion. An intellectual and abstract concept has been made concrete by visualizing it with the School of Athens painting. In the history of philosophy, the different thought systems that were processed by the Ancient Greek philosophers are subtly divided into certain groups in this table. Thus, the School of Athens painting has become a tangible asset that facilitates complex philosophy lessons.
We talked about the important details you need to know about the painting of the School of Athens by Raphael, the important name of the Renaissance period, and the painter, where you will encounter different details every time you look. You can share your thoughts about the School of Athens painting in the comments.
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