The School Of Athens Raphael Analysis

Raphael Analysis In 1509, 27 year old Raphael Sanzio created what has been regarded as one of the most beautiful Renaissance paintings of all time. This art work is titled Philosophy (School of Athens). During the years of 1509 and 1511, Raphael painted The School of Athens. The general theme of this artwork is said to be a visualization of knowledge. The majority of persons depicted in the painting are unknown. However, it has been suggested that The School of Athens depicts Greek philosophers and ancient scientists. In his painting, Raphael used implied lines. “An implied line can be a discontinuous line that the viewer reads as continuous because of the overall context of the image” (Fichner-Rathus 30). The viewer’s eyes sweep across the painting continuously from left to right. This is in part due to the lines which appear to go away from the viewer and meet in the center. The archway of the painting creates structure. “One of the hallmarks of Renaissance paintings is the use of implied line to create or echo the structure of the composition” (Fichner-Rathus 31). The use of line in this artwork forms various shapes. “Shapes are formed when interesting or connected lines enclose space” (Fichner-Rathus 35). In …show more content…
The people in this painting exist and move not just through space, but also time. “In its inexorable forward flow, time provides us with the chance to develop and grasp the visions of our dreams. Time also creates the stark limits beyond which none of us may extend” (Fichner-Rathus 65). Raphael brilliantly represented three-dimensional space to imply movement and time. The School of Athens captures motion through what is called stopped time. His use of diagonal lines simulate the movement of each person in the artwork. The passage of time is implied through the people being caught in the midst of their movement across the floor, up the stairs, and changing body