Art History: (The School of Athens)

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses and explains the Renaissance period in the history of art. The author also provides a detailed account of Raphael's work: "The School of Athens" and provides ideas and substitutes for his own version of the painting.

From the Paper:

"The master introduced the scene inside a temple of Roman inspiration, possibly following the projects of Bramante for the Vatican basilica, linking the idea of the temple of philosophy evocated by Marsilio Ficino. The figures are situated in several groups presided by the two great classic philosophers: Plato and Aristotle, representing the most important ethic doctrines of the Greek world: idealism and realism.
"Both characters dialogue and advance before a group of figures that form a hall. At the left Socrates conversing with a group of young people; on the first place Zeno. Over the steps Heraclites, taking Michael Angelo's figure, probably as homage to the decoration of the Sistine Chapel, Diogenes lying on the steps, Euclid with his disciples, Zoroaster and Ptolemy with the globe of the sky and earth. In those figures they represent the "Trivium" and "Quadrivium"."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Phelan, Joseph. The Philosopher as Hero: Raphael's The School of Athens. Art cyclopedia. 2002. 7 Oct. 2007. <http://www.artcyclopedia.com/feature-2002-09.html>
• Room of the Segnatura (1508-1511) School of Athens. Vatican Museums. 2007. 7 Oct. 2007. http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/x-Schede/SDRs/SDRs_03_02_020.html
• Italian Renaissance. Wikipedia. 2007. 7 Oct. 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Renaissance>

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