The School of Athens

Also known as Raphael, 1483-1520. School of Athens, School of Athens, The School of Athens Raphael, The School of Athens (Raphael)

fresco by Raphael

AI overview

"The School of Athens" is a fresco painted by the Renaissance artist Raphael that depicts ancient Greek philosophers gathered together in a grand architectural setting. It matters as one of the most celebrated and influential works of Renaissance art, representing the period's deep admiration for classical learning and philosophy.

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Wikidata facts

Image: "The School of Athens" by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino.jpg
Height: 550
Width: 770

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Commons category: The School of Athens by Raphael
inception: 1512-00-00
catalog code: 17
title: Scuola di Atene
inventory number: 6306a.
name in native language: Scuola di Atene

Sources (7)

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Article

The School of Athens (Italian: Scuola di Atene) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael. It was painted between 1509 and 1511 as part of a commission by Pope Julius II to decorate the rooms now called the Stanze di Raffaello in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City.

The fresco depicts a congregation of ancient mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists, with Plato and Aristotle featured in the center. The identities of most figures are ambiguous or discernable only through subtle details or allusions; among those commonly identified are Socrates, Pythagoras, Archimedes, Heraclitus, Ibn Rushd (known as Averroes in the west) , Euclid, and Zarathustra. Additionally, Italian artists Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are believed to be portrayed through Plato and Heraclitus, respectively. Raphael included a self-portrait beside Ptolemy. Hypatia is the only notable character who is looking directly at the viewer in the artwork.