The School of Athens

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino

"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 embodies the spirit of the Renaissance, celebrating classical philosophy and learning. It depicts a gathering of the greatest minds of antiquity, engaged in lively discussion and debate within an architectural setting inspired by Roman ruins.

Key Figures Depicted:

• Plato and Aristotle at the center, representing different philosophical schools.
• Socrates, challenging a listener.
• Pythagoras, demonstrating his theories.
• Euclid, illustrating geometric principles.
• Heraclitus, leaning on a block of marble.
• Other prominent philosophers, mathematicians, and astronomers.

The intricate composition, masterful use of perspective, and the lifelike portrayals of the figures make "The School of Athens" one of the most iconic works of Western art.