"The School of Athens": a description of the fresco. Rafael Santi, "School of Athens"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Santi Raffaello was born in early April 1483 in central Italy. Often his surname sounded in the Latin manner as Sanzio or Santius. The artist himself, deducing the signature on his canvases, used the Latinized version of his name - Raphael. Under this name, he became famous throughout the world. And his large-scale fresco "The School of Athens" became known even to those who are very far from the world of fine arts.

First steps in art

Even as a child, Raffaello knew that he would be an artist. His first experiments in drawing took place under the strict guidance of his father, Giovanni Santi. Along with the lessons of the parent, the future master mastered the technique of painting from Timoteo Viti, a well-known Umbrian artist in those days. When Santi Jr. was 16 years old, he was sent as an apprentice to Pietro Vannucci. Under the influence of this man, Rafael reached the true heights of skill and perfectly studied the basic techniques of art.

The earliest, youthful paintings by Raphael are three canvases: "The Archangel Michael, striking Satan" (today the work is in Paris), "The Knight's Dream" (exposition location - London) and "Three Graces" (his lasthaven - Chantilly). This is how Rafael Santi began his career. The School of Athens appeared when the author was 25 years old.

The Greatest Fresco

Raphael came to the Eternal City in 1508. Pope Julius II invited him here. Here the artist had to paint the stanzas (ceremonial halls) of the Vatican Palace. Stanza della Senyatura was painted by Raphael, conveying in picturesque images four spheres of human mental activity: "Disputation" (theology), "Athenian school" (philosophy), "Parnassus" (poetry) and "Wisdom, Measure, Strength" (jurisprudence). And the maestro painted the plafond with paintings that ideologically echo the main compositions and carry biblical, allegorical and mythological meanings.

The painting "The School of Athens" has become the embodiment of the greatness of philosophy and science. The main paradigm of the fresco is also one of the most important thoughts of the humanists. It can be roughly formulated as the possibility of harmonious harmony between different branches of science and philosophy. The vaults of this majestic architectural masterpiece are adorned by teams of scholars and philosophers from ancient Greece.

"The School of Athens" (Raphael). Description

In total, the picture shows more than fifty figures. In the center of the fresco are Aristotle and Plato. They convey the wisdom of the times of Antiquity and represent two philosophical schools. Plato points his finger to the heavens, while Aristotle stretches out his hand above the earth. The warrior wearing the helmet is Alexander the Great. He attentively listens to the great Socrates, andhe bends his fingers on his hands, telling something amazing. On the left side, near the stairs, the students surrounded Pythagoras, who is busy solving mathematical questions. The "School of Athens" found a place for Epicurus, whom Raphael depicted in a wreath of grape leaves.

For the image of Michelangelo, the artist chose the image of Heraclitus and painted him as a man who, leaning on a cube, sits in a thoughtful pose. Diogenes sits on the stairs. To his right is Euclid, who is measuring something on a geometric drawing with a compass. Stair rungs are the stages at which truth is mastered. Euclid was accompanied by Ptolemy (holding the globe in his hands) and Zoroaster (holding the globe of heaven). To the right of them is the figure of Raphael himself, looking at the audience.

Other characters

Despite the fact that the "School of Athens" is a fresco depicting more than 50 characters, it feels light and spacious, characteristic of Santi's manner. In addition to the figures described above, the canvas presents to the public such characters as Spekvsipp (a philosopher depicted with a beard and in a brown toga), Meneksen (a philosopher dressed in a blue toga), Xenocrates (a philosopher, in a white toga). There is also Pythagoras, drawn with a book in his hands, Critias (in a pink robe), Diagoras of Melos - a poet with a naked torso, and other historical figures.

Like all the world's masterpieces of art, the "School of Athens" presents the public with a couple of unknown figures. So, no one knowswho is depicted on the fresco on one leg, and who owns the back in pink clothes. But the artist's favorite is easy to identify: she personifies Hypatia.

Interesting facts about the School of Athens

The stanzas in the Vatican were painted by the genius Raphael for ten years - from 1508 to 1518. Santi himself worked for only four years (1508-1512). The rest of the time, the painting was performed by the maestro's students under his direction. There is one accidental, but very interesting coincidence: for four years Raphael worked on Stanzas, and for the same number of years he worked on Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling.

The name of the famous fresco does not belong to Raphael. Historical sources say that at the very beginning the picture was called "Philosophy". “The School of Athens” is a name that does not fully correspond to what is depicted on the canvas. In the picture, besides the philosophers from Athens, there are many people who have never been in this city in their lives. In addition, the mural contains representatives of different eras who lived in different countries, and therefore did not have the opportunity to meet together at the same time.

Death of a great artist

Having lived only 37 years old, on April 6, 1520 (his birthday), the great Raphael Santi died. The "Athenian school" remained alive for centuries. The earthly existence of the maestro was bright and brief, like a comet. But even this time allotted by fate was enough for Raphael to be remembered as the greatest artist of the Renaissance.

Santi's death was sudden, she interrupted the rivalry between the twothe greatest geniuses of their time. Both took part in the decoration and creation of the Vatican. We are talking about Raphael and Michelangelo. Despite the fact that the latter was older than Santi, he outlived him by many years.

Raphael died in Rome, and his ashes were buried with honors that were worthy of such an unsurpassed genius and symbol of the era. There was not a single artist who would not see off the last journey of the author of the School of Athens and mourn the maestro.