The School of Athens

"The School of Athens" is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael. It was painted between 1509 and 1511 as part of Raphael's commission to decorate the rooms in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. This masterpiece represents philosophy, and it depicts a gathering of the greatest minds of antiquity discussing their ideas. In the center stand Plato and Aristotle, surrounded by a constellation of philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists from different eras. The painting is celebrated for its harmonious composition, its masterful use of perspective, and its profound intellectual depth, making it a symbol of the Renaissance ideal of human reason and learning.