The School of Athens: Difference between revisions
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{{Painting_150px| image_file=Tux.svg |
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| dim = 420px |
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| title=[[linux]] at The School of Athens |
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| artist=Raphael |
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| year=1509–1510 |
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| type=[[Fresco]] |
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| height=500 |
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| width=770 |
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| city=Vatican City |
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| museum=Apostolic Palace}} |
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'''''The School of Athens''''', or ''{{lang|it|Scuola di Atene}}'' in [[Italian language|Italian]], is one of the most famous [[painting]]s by the [[Italian Renaissance]] artist [[Raphael]]. It was painted between [[1510 in art|1510]] and [[1511 in art|1511]] as a part of Raphael's commission to decorate with [[fresco]]es the rooms now known as the {{lang|it|[[Raphael Rooms|Stanze di Raffaello]]}}, in the [[Apostolic Palace]] in the [[Vatican City|Vatican]]. The {{lang|it|''[[Stanza della Segnatura]]''}} was the first of the rooms to be decorated, and ''The School of Athens'' the second painting to be finished there, after {{lang|it|''[[Disputation of the Holy Sacrament|La Disputà]]''}}, on the opposite wall. The picture has long been seen as "Raphael's [[masterpiece]] and the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the [[High Renaissance]]."<ref name="books.google.com">[http://books.google.com/books?id=MMYHuvhWBH4C&pg=PT470&dq=TIMAEUS+raphael++%22school+of+athens%22++plato+Pythagoras&ei=gS47R9vpNY_g6wL7_6XWCg&sig=R4GMVcpACM4NY6zdu-acOEp_tQI#PPT469,M1 History of Art: The Western Tradition] By Horst Woldemar Janson, Anthony F. Janson</ref> |
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==Program, subject, figure identifications, interpretations== |
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The title "School of Athens" is an old tour-book’s invention, which tends to obscure the painting’s immediate context and meaning. It is actually one of a group on the four walls of the Stanza (those on either side centrally interrupted by windows) that depict distinct themes of knowledge. Each theme is identified above by a separate [[Tondo (art)|tondo]] containing a majestic female figure seated in the clouds, with [[putto|putti]] bearing the phrases: “Seek Knowledge of Causes”, “Divine Inspiration”, “Knowledge of Things Divine” (''Disputà''), “To Each What Is Due”. Accordingly, the figures on the walls below exemplify Philosophy, Poetry (including Music), Theology, Law. <ref>See Giorgio Vasari, "Raphael of Urbino", in ''Lives of the Artists'', vol. I. For further clarification, and an introduction to more subtle interpretations, see E. H. Gombrich, “Raphael’s ''Stanza della Segnatura'' and the Nature of Its Symbolism”, in ''Symbolic Images: Studies in the Art of the Renaissance'' (London: Phaidon, 1975).</ref> The “School” is therefore actually "Philosophy",<ref>Heinrich Wölfflin, ''Classic Art: An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance'' (London: Phaidon, 2d edn. 1953), p. 93</ref> and its overhead tondo-label, “''Causarum Cognitio''” tells us what kind, as it appears to echo [[Aristotle]]’s emphasis on wisdom as knowing why, hence knowing the causes, in ''Metaphysics'' Book I and ''Physics'' Book II. Indeed, Aristotle appears to be the central figure in the scene below. However all the philosophers depicted sought to understand through knowledge of first causes. Many lived before Plato and Arisotle, hardly a third were Athenians, and the architecture is Roman, not Greek. |
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Commentators have suggested that nearly every great Greek philosopher can be found within the painting, but determining which are depicted is difficult, since Raphael made no designations outside possible likenesses, and no contemporary documents explain the painting.<ref name="Daniel Orth Bell 1995">Daniel Orth Bell, [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0422/is_n4_v77/ai_17846051/print New identifications in Raphael's 'School of Athens.'] Art Bulletin, Dec. 1995.</ref> Compounding the problem, Raphael had to invent a system of [[iconography]] to allude to various philosophers for whom there were no traditional visual types. For example, while the Socrates figure is immediately recognizable from Classical busts, the alleged Epicurus is far removed from the standard type for that philosopher.<ref name="Daniel Orth Bell 1995"/><ref name="books.google.com"/> Nevertheless, there is widespread agreement on the identity of certain figures within the painting.<ref name="Daniel Orth Bell 1995"/> |
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Aside from the identities of the philosophers shown, many aspects of the fresco have been interpreted, but few such interpretations are generally accepted among scholars. The popular idea that the rhetorical gestures of Plato and Aristotle are kinds of pointing (to the heavens, and down to earth) is a likely reading. However Plato’s ''Timaeus''--which is the book Raphael places in his hand--was a sophisticated treatment of space, time and change, including the Earth, which guided mathematical sciences for over a millennium. Aristotle, with his [[four elements]] theory, held that all change on Earth was owing to the motions of the heavens. In the painting Aristotle carries his ''Ethics'', which he denied could be a scientific study. |
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It is not established how much the young Raphael knew of ancient philosophy, what guidance he might have had from people such as Bramante, or what detailed program may have been dictated by the Papal sponsor. [[Heinrich Wölfflin]] observed that "it is quite wrong to attempt interpretations of the ''School of Athens'' as an esoteric treatise ... The all-important thing was the artistic motive which expressed a physical or spiritual state, and the name of the person was a matter of indifference" in Raphael's time.<ref>Wōlfflin, p. 88.</ref> What is evident is Raphael's artistry in orchestrating a beautiful space, continuous with that of viewers in the Stanza, in which a great variety of human figures, each one expressing "mental states by physical actions", interact, and are grouped in a "polyphony" unlike anything in earlier art, in the ongoing dialogue of Philosophy.<ref>Wōlfflin, pp. 94f.</ref> |
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===The figures=== |
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The identity of some of the philosophers in the picture, such as [[Plato]] or [[Aristotle]], is uncontroversial. But scholars disagree on many of the other figures, some of whom have double identities as ancients and as figures contemporary to Raphael. The extent of double portrayals is uncertain although, for example, that Michelangelo is portrayed (no. 13 below) is generally accepted.<ref>Vasari mentions portraits of Federico II of Mantua, Bramante, and Raphael himself: Giorgio Vasari, ''Lives of the Artists'', v. I, sel. & transl. by George Bull (London: Penguin, 1965), p. 292.</ref> According to Lahanas,<ref>''[http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/SchoolAthens.htm The School of Athens, "Who is Who?"]'' by Michael Lahanas</ref> they are usually identified as follows: |
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[[Image:Raffaello Scuola di Atene numbered.svg|thumb|center|800px| |
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The bracketed names are the contemporary characters from whom Raphael is thought to have drawn his likenesses. |
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1: [[Zeno of Citium]] or [[Zeno of Elea]]? |
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2: [[Epicurus]] |
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3: [[Federico II, Duke of Mantua|Federico II of Mantua]]? |
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4: [[Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius]] or [[Anaximander]] or [[Empedocles]]? |
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5: [[Averroes]]? |
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6: [[Pythagoras]]? |
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7: [[Alcibiades]] or [[Alexander the Great]]? |
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8: [[Antisthenes]] or [[Xenophon]]? |
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9: [[Hypatia of Alexandria|Hypatia]] ([[Francesco Maria I della Rovere|Francesco Maria della Rovere]] or Raphael's mistress Margherita) |
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10: [[Aeschines]] or [[Xenophon]]? |
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11: [[Parmenides]]? |
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12: [[Socrates]]? |
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13: [[Heraclitus]] ([[Michelangelo]]) |
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14: [[Plato]] holding the ''[[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]'' ([[Leonardo da Vinci]]) |
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15: [[Aristotle]] holding the ''[[Nicomachean Ethics|Ethics]]''? |
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16: [[Diogenes of Sinope]]? |
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17: [[Plotinus]]? |
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18: [[Euclid]] or [[Archimedes]] with students ([[Donato Bramante|Bramante]])? |
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19: [[Strabo]] or [[Zoroaster]]? ([[Baldassare Castiglione]] or [[Pietro Bembo]]) |
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20: [[Ptolemy]]? |
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R: [[Apelles]] ([[Raphael]]) |
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21: [[Protogenes]] ([[Il Sodoma]], [[Perugino]] or [[Timoteo Viti]])<ref>The interpretation of this figure as Sodoma is probably in error as Sodoma was 33 at the time of painting, while Raphael's teacher, Perugino, was a renowned painter and aged about 60 at the time of this painting, consistent with the image. [[Timoteo Viti]] is another plausible candidate.</ref> |
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]] |
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===Central figures (14 and 15)=== |
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[[Image:Sanzio 01 Plato Aristotle.jpg|thumb|180 px|left|]] |
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In the center of the fresco, at its architecture's central [[vanishing point]], are the two undisputed main subjects: [[Plato]] on the left and [[Aristotle]], his student, on the right. Both figures hold modern, bound copies of their books in their left hands, while gesturing with their right. Plato holds ''[[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]'', Aristotle his ''[[Nicomachean Ethics]]''. Plato is depicted as old, grey, wise-looking, bare-foot. By contrast Aristotle, slightly ahead of him, is in mature manhood, handsome, well-shod and dressed, with gold, and the youth about them seem to look his way. In addition, these two central figures gesture along different dimensions: Plato vertically, upward along the picture-plane, into the beautiful vault above; Aristotle on the horizontal plan at right-angles to the picture-plane (hence in strong [[foreshortening]]), initiating a powerful flow of space toward viewers. |
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===The setting=== |
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The building is in the shape of a [[Cross#As emblems and symbols|Greek cross]], which some have suggested was intended to show a harmony between [[paganism|pagan]] [[philosophy]] and [[Christian theology]]<ref name="books.google.com"/> (see [[Christianity and Paganism]] and [[Christian philosophy]]). The architecture of the building was inspired by the work of [[Donato Bramante|Bramante]], who, according to [[Giorgio Vasari|Vasari]], helped Raphael with the architecture in the picture.<ref name="books.google.com"/> Some have suggested that the building itself was intended to be an advance view of [[St. Peter's Basilica]].<ref name="books.google.com"/> |
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There are two sculptures in the background. The one on the left is the god [[Apollo]] holding a [[lyre]].<ref name="books.google.com"/> Apollo is the god of the Sun, medicine/healing, light, truth, archery, and music. The sculpture on the right is [[Athena]], in her Roman guise as [[Minerva]].<ref name="books.google.com"/> Athena was the goddess of [[wisdom]]. |
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==Reproductions== |
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The [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] has a rectangular version over 4 metres by 8 metres in size, painted on canvas, dated 1755 by [[Anton Raphael Mengs]] on display in the eastern Cast Court.<ref>[http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/result.html?_IXFIRST_=2&_IXSS_=_IXFIRST_%3d1%26_IXINITSR_%3dy%26%2524%253dIXID%3d%26_IXACTION_%3dquery%26%2524%253dIXOBJECT%3d%26_IXMAXHITS_%3d15%26%252asform%3dvanda%26%2524%253dIXNAME%3d%26_IXSESSION_%3dJ_dKf4opqdR%26%2524%253dIXPLACE%3d%26_IXadv_%3d0%26search%3dsearch%26%2524%253dIXMATERIAL%3d%26%2524%253ds%3danton%2braphael%2bmengs%26%2524%253dop%3dAND%26_IXFPFX_%3dtemplates%252ft%26%2524%253dsi%3dtext%26%2524%253dIXFROM%3d%26%2524%253dIXTO%3d&_IXACTION_=query&_IXMAXHITS_=1&_IXSR_=_5mo6D1dmLJ&_IXSPFX_=templates%2ft&_IXFPFX_=templates%2ft&s=J_dKf4opqdR. V&A Museum: Copy of Raphael's School of Athens in the Vatican]</ref> |
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A reproduction of the fresco can be seen in the auditorium of Old Cabell Hall at the [[University of Virginia]]. Produced in 1900 by [[George W. Breck]] to replace an older reproduction that was destroyed in a fire in 1895, it is four [[inch]]es off scale from the original, because the Vatican would not allow identical reproductions of its art works.<ref>Information on [http://www.virginia.edu/music/cabell.html Old Cabell Hall] from University of Virginia</ref> |
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Other reproductions are: by Neide, in [[Königsberg Cathedral]], [[Kaliningrad]],<ref>''[http://books.google.com/books?id=vHg2AAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA247&lpg=RA1-PA247&dq=school+of+athens+konigsberg+cathedral&source=web&ots=h21ALhbKl0&sig=WWy7S6bughX2DOr-p44AkR79s1g Northern Germany: As Far as the Bavarian and Austrian Frontiers]'', Baedeker, 1890, p. 247.</ref> in the [[University of North Carolina at Asheville]]'s Highsmith University Student Union, and a recent one in the seminar room at [[Baylor University]]'s Brooks College. |
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More recently the image was used by the band [[Guns N' Roses]] for their [[1991 in music|1991]] albums ''[[Use Your Illusion I]]'' and ''[[Use Your Illusion II]]'' Extracts of the image, chiefly the two figures to the left of [[Plotinus]] (figure 17), were extracted by New York artist [[Mark Kostabi]] for the cover art. |
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==In popular culture== |
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In [[Resident Evil 4]], the painting can be seen in one of the rooms inside Ramon Salizar's castle. |
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==Gallery== |
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<gallery> |
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Image:Raffael_060.jpg |
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Image:Raffael_070.jpg|[[Zeno of Citium]] or [[Zeno of Elea]] |
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Image:Sanzio 01 Epicurus.jpg|[[Epicurus]] |
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Image:Averroes closeup.jpg|[[Averroes]] and [[Pythagoras]] |
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Image:Raffael 068.jpg|[[Pythagoras]] |
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Image:Raffael 059.jpg|[[Alcibiades]] or [[Alexander the Great]] and [[Antisthenes]] or [[Xenophon]] |
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Image:Raffael 065.jpg|[[Francesco Maria I della Rovere]] or Raphael's mistress as [[Hypatia of Alexandria]] and [[Parmenides]] |
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Image:Sanzio_01_Parmenides.jpg|[[Parmenides]] |
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Image:Raffael 069.jpg|[[Aeschines]] and [[Socrates]] |
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Image:Raffael 066.jpg|[[Michelangelo]] as [[Heraclitus]] |
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Image:Raffael 067.jpg|[[Leonardo da Vinci]] as [[Plato]] |
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Image:Raffael 061.jpg|[[Aristotle]] |
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Image:Raffael 062.jpg|[[Diogenes of Sinope|Diogenes]] |
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Image:Sanzio_01_Euclid.jpg|[[Bramante]] as [[Euclid]] or [[Archimedes]] |
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Image:Raffael_071.jpg|[[Strabo]] or [[Zoroaster]], [[Ptolemy]], Raphael as [[Apelles]] and [[Perugino]] or [[Timoteo Viti]] as [[Protogenes]] |
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Image:Raphael School of Athens GNR.jpg |
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</gallery> |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Commonscat|La Scuola di Atene|The School of Athens}} |
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*[http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/raphael/4stanze/1segnatu/1/ The School of Athens] at the ''Web Gallery of Art'' |
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*[http://agutie.homestead.com/files/school_athens_map.html The School of Athens] (interactive map) |
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*[http://www.clio.unina.it/~alfredo/index.php?mod=05_Interessi/La_Scuola_di_Atene The School of Athens] (interactive map) |
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*[http://www.ambrosiana.it/ing/pinacoteca_sala_dett.asp?pagina=15&sala=5 The School of Athens — original cartoon] at the ''Ambrosiana Gallery, Milan'' |
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*[http://www.unca.edu/news/releases/2007/athens.html The School of Athens reproduction at UNC Asheville] |
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{{Raphael}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:School of Athens, The}} |
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[[Category:Raphael rooms]] |
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[[Category:1510 paintings]] |
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[[ar:مدرسة أثينا (لوحة)]] |
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[[ca:L'escola d'Atenes]] |
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[[cs:Athénská škola]] |
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[[de:Die Schule von Athen]] |
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[[es:La escuela de Atenas]] |
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[[eo:La Lernejo de Ateno]] |
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[[fa:مکتب آتن (نقاشی)]] |
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[[fr:L'École d'Athènes (Raphaël)]] |
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[[id:Sekolah Athena]] |
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[[is:Skólinn í Aþenu]] |
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[[it:Scuola di Atene (Raffaello)]] |
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[[he:אסכולת אתונה]] |
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[[jv:Sekolah Atena]] |
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[[nl:School van Athene]] |
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[[ja:アテナイの学堂]] |
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[[no:Skolen i Athen]] |
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[[pl:Szkoła Ateńska]] |
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[[pt:Escola de Atenas]] |
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[[ru:Афинская школа]] |
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[[sq:Shkolla e Athinës]] |
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[[sk:Aténska škola]] |
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[[fi:Ateenan koulu]] |
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[[sv:Skolan i Aten]] |
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[[vi:Trường Athens]] |
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[[zh:雅典學院]] |
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Revision as of 19:26, 4 January 2009
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