Raphael’s “Philosophy” fresco, also known as the “School of Athens,” is culturally significant due to its High Renaissance depiction of philosophical ideals during a time of much innovation and dueling intellect. The fresco was painted between 1509 and 1511 for the papal apartments at the Vatican. This painting converges history’s greatest philosophers and scientists. It represents the rebirth of ideas during the renaissance as a time where theorists could debate different intellectual theories and ideals.
This was commissioned by Pope Julius II for the papal apartments. The pope was a powerful patron of the arts and held a competition to select the artist to do the frescos for the papal apartments at the Vatican. This particular fresco is in the Stanza della Segnatura or papal library. Raphael beat out prominent artists including his mentor and finished the fresco when he was only 27 years old. The Stanza della Signatura contains a sequence of Raphael’s best work in which the “School of Athens” is a part of. Each wall was meant to represent different areas of thinking, thus the “School of Athens” is known for the area of “Philosophy.” It is set in Ancient Greece and symbolizes the …show more content…
They are each backed by colossal Greco-Roman style statues that support their beliefs. Plato in pointing up to heavens while Aristotle has his arm extended palm down showing his empiricist principles. The colossal statue that sits left of Plato is Apollo the god of sun, poetry and art, while the statue right of Aristotle is Athena the goddess of wisdom. On Plato’s side are ancient philosophers while Aristotle’s side includes ancient scientists and mathematicians. This shows their differing opinions and inspiration from heaven to the material world. The other figures and philosophers in this work include Socrates, Pythagoras, Euclid and so many
This was commissioned by Pope Julius II for the papal apartments. The pope was a powerful patron of the arts and held a competition to select the artist to do the frescos for the papal apartments at the Vatican. This particular fresco is in the Stanza della Segnatura or papal library. Raphael beat out prominent artists including his mentor and finished the fresco when he was only 27 years old. The Stanza della Signatura contains a sequence of Raphael’s best work in which the “School of Athens” is a part of. Each wall was meant to represent different areas of thinking, thus the “School of Athens” is known for the area of “Philosophy.” It is set in Ancient Greece and symbolizes the …show more content…
They are each backed by colossal Greco-Roman style statues that support their beliefs. Plato in pointing up to heavens while Aristotle has his arm extended palm down showing his empiricist principles. The colossal statue that sits left of Plato is Apollo the god of sun, poetry and art, while the statue right of Aristotle is Athena the goddess of wisdom. On Plato’s side are ancient philosophers while Aristotle’s side includes ancient scientists and mathematicians. This shows their differing opinions and inspiration from heaven to the material world. The other figures and philosophers in this work include Socrates, Pythagoras, Euclid and so many