The School of Athens - Raphael

Raphael's The School of Athens

"The School of Athens" is a fresco by the Italian High Renaissance artist Raphael. It was painted between 1509 and 1511 and is located in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. This iconic masterpiece depicts a gathering of the greatest philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists from classical antiquity under one roof, engaged in passionate discourse. At the center stand Plato and Aristotle, representing contrasting philosophical approaches, surrounded by figures like Socrates, Pythagoras, Euclid, and Ptolemy. The painting is celebrated for its masterful composition, illusionistic perspective, and the vibrant intellectual atmosphere it conveys, symbolizing the Renaissance ideal of the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.

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