Title

School of Athens

Description

The Stanza della segnatura ("Room of the Signatura") was the first to be decorated by Raphael's frescoes. It was the study housing the library of Julius II, and the council chamber for the Apostolic Signatura, where most of the important papal documents were signed and sealed. The artist's concept brings into harmony the spirits of Antiquity and Christianity and reflects the contents of the pope's library with themes of theology (the Disputa, west wall), philosophy (School of Athens, east wall), jurisprudence, and the poetic arts (Parnassus, north wall). The theme of this room is worldly and spiritual wisdom and the harmony which Renaissance humanists perceived between Christian teaching and Greek philosophy. Toward the end of 1509, Raphael began work on the east wall. This second painting, entitled The School of Athens, represents the degrees of knowledge or the truth acquired through reason. Tradition holds that many of the philosophers, mathematicians and scientists are portraits of Raphael's contemporaries and that he included a self-portrait as well.

Relation

https://core.vraweb.org/examples/html/example046_full.html

Type

Painting

Creator

Raphael

Date

1509-1510

Format

pigment on plaster

Spatial Coverage

Vatican

Alternative Title

Philosophy

Extent

196.9 in x 275.6 in

Subject

Classical education

Humanism

fresco painting

Temporal Coverage

Renaissance