School Of Athens: Raphael During The Renaissance Period

1102 Words5 Pages

The European history has undoubtedly been a long drawn and epic trail of events. From the dark ages to the modern times now, it has been a long journey laying down a series of events to look back to. Among the several great periods of the European history, the Renaissance was the most important. It brought with it the rebirth of several thoughts and ideas that were lost in time. Not only the revival of ideas but many new ideas were born too in every field. The period brought with it, great scientists, painters, thinkers, writers, and many wonderful people who contributed their work to change the world. One amongst these great people, was Raphael, an amazing Italian painter of the high renaissance period. Raphael painted for the church earlier in his life and later, his paintings became a great part of the renaissance. He was called by the Pope Julius 2 to paint frescos in a suite of the Vatican papal apartments. He painted the famous painting ‘School of Athens’ which is what I am going to talk about. School of Athens, one of the greatest fresco paintings of all time was made some time in 1510. It is located in the ‘Stanza della Segnatura’ which is a room in the Vatican City holding the four best fresco paintings of Raphael. …show more content…

In the centre of the painting we can see Aristotle and Plato walking side by side. According to Plato, everything around us in the world, the tangible, regular and solid, is temporary. Everything has a higher and greater truth behind it. This temporary world around us will keep changing but this is just an image or shadow of what is eternal and never changing. A world beyond the sight, a world of nature and beauty. To indicate this, Raphael has painted Plato (on the left), pointing towards the sky denoting that unknown eternal world. Along with that, Plato has his book Timaeus in his hand

Open Document