Do you know who the different men in the room are and their occupations? This is one of the most famous frescoes, School Of Athens by Raphael in the early 15th century. The room is filled with various philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists. During the high renaissance, one of the important values of society were philosophy and science. The sources are a video and article by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker in Khan Academy. The sources are reliable because it is an educational non-profit organization, as well as the narrators, are respectable professionals in the field of Art History.
The video and article from Khan Academy by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker reveal symbolism of the fresco. It represents all the great philosophers, mathematicians and scientists gathering under one roof, sharing and learning different ideas from each other. One can see in the center of the fresco, Aristotle on the right and Plato on the left. They are two very important philosophers, who have had their philosophies even incorporated into Christianity. Plato can be seen pointing up and carrying his book called Timaeus. In addition, Aristotle can be seen positioning his hand down and is holding his book Ethics. On the lower left, one can see Pythagoras, a famous mathematician writing a book. Opposite to Pythagoras, on the lower right is Euclid, a mathematician associated with geometry. He can be seen drawing a geometric figure. Next to Euclid is Ptolemy, an astronomer carrying a sphere of the earth. In contrast, one can see Heraclitus, a greek philosopher alone. He is in deep thought and seems to be writing on a piece of paper. Moreover, Raphael has also painted himself in the fresco. He is standing among the group of great astronomers looking at the audience. In summary, every character is important and unique, and these are just a few of the many intriguing characters in the paintings.
One interpretation of the fresco was representing philosophy and science as one important value of the high renaissance. It also portrays the two branches of philosophy, ideology, and practicality. One can observe the center characters, Plato, and Aristotle. Plato is pointing his hands up and also wearing red and purple fabric. This demonstrates Plato's philosophy that the changing world that one sees is only a shadow of the higher, true reality. He believes that the other reality is the ultimate reality and encompasses all truths, beauty, justice, and wisdom. His clothes are red and purple which symbolize air and fire that do not possess any weight, referring to his philosophy of the ultimate reality. In contradiction, Aristotle positions his hand down and wears a blue and brown fabric. One can infer that his ideas on reality focus on the one human's experience. He believes that friendship, justice, and relationships are supposed to be prioritized in the reality one experiences. Furthermore, the blue and brown represent water and earth, that possess weight, and refer to his ideas on reality. This contrasting philosophy is observable beyond the two main philosophers. On the lower left, Pythagoras is a famous mathematician that believed that "the world (including the movement of the planets and stars) operated according to mathematical laws. These mathematical laws were related to ideas of musical and cosmic harmony. Pythagoras taught that each of the planets produced a note as it moved, based on its distance from the earth. Together, the movement of all the planets was perfect harmony" (Khan Academy). Pythagoras uses math to prove the ideology of cosmic harmony. In contradiction, on the lower right one can see Euclid, a famous mathematician, associated with geometry. He is drawing a geometrical figure that represents his idea of practicality through measurements. This contradiction represents the different ideas and interpretations one can think about the world, but they are also equally valued in society. Raphael also painted certain philosophers based on the appearance of great artists. Heraclitus appearance is based on Michelangelo, as they both have a brooding personality. Euclid is another example as he is based on the appearance of Bramante. They both sketched buildings with perfect geometry. One can infer that artists were considered by Raphael to be on par with intellectuals. In conclusion, the society of the high renaissance valued anything that can express ideas and knowledge.
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