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Source:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.

Raphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.

When Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).

This included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.

Including a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.

Following the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).

When looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.

These figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).

The imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).

The figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.

"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles."

To their left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).

Just to our left of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).

Further to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.

His self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).

Modern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).

A comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.

My first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.

So for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.

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Bibliography:

Bell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia
Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.

Bellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”
Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.

Fiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill
Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011

Graham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,
1999. Print.

Hall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.

Liebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia
Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.

Rowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.
Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.

Talvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The
Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-849" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens-300x237.png" alt="" width="300" height="237" /></a>