On the surface, paintings can be looked at as just an image but, through analyzing it, you can understand the meanings within the image.  The School of Athens is a fresco painted in the early 1500’s by the Italian renaissance artist Raphael.  A fresco is when an artist paints on wet plaster to seal the pigments into the wall.   The fresco depicts a roman setting that has grand statues and architecture with many characters or figures that seem to be enthralled with the different schools of thought they are discussing.  Raphael’s School of Athens shows the importance of philosophy and mathematics through visual cues such as placement and specific characters and the use of the elements of art like color.

Raphael’s School of Athens is a beautiful representation of renaissance art. Raphael created an amazing fresco that represents different schools of science, philosophy, and mathematics.  When you observe this painting, you start to feel overwhelmed by all the intricate details; it is truly amazing that Raphael was able to create such a detailed story in this fresco.  You can feel yourself going back in time to ancient Rome while looking at all the details in the arches, statues of gods, all the marble, and how the architecture comes together to make the building is truly magnificent.  Raphael was able to give all the character’s motion, so you feel as if you can hear them arguing and teaching science and mathematics.  How Raphael painted and planned this fresco was very effective in that you start to feel a part of the painting.

When one first looks at Raphael’s School of Athens, their eye is pulled to the middle by the architecture within the fresco.  The arches in the middle that recede backwards brings our eye to two characters that seem to be the main focus of the fresco.  The two are the only ones that are depicted with the light blue sky highlighting them as if so to say they are higher thinkers than the rest.  These two figures are Plato (on the left) and Aristotle (on the right). They can be described as such because of the books they are holding and their age.  Plato is holding the book he wrote, Timaeus, and Aristotle is holding the book he wrote, Nicomachean Ethics.  Plato was the teacher of Aristotle so he appears as much older than his student.  The way these two are positioned helps communicate how they think: Plato is pointing up to the sky because he focuses on the things we cannot see.  Aristotle focuses on what we can see so he has his palm facing down if so to say to Plato, no we have to focus on what we can see here in front of us because that is what really matters.  The clothes and shoes (or lack thereof) help further communicate their personalities.  Plato is wearing a purple robe with a red throw over it; the color purple is usually related to wind and red to fire.  These two colors have no gravity or weight like Plato’s philosophies because they are based on what isn’t there.  Plato is also not wearing any shoes, which makes him seem to be more of a free thinker.  Aristotle is wearing a brown robe with a blue throw over it.  The color brown can be thought to represent earth and blue to represent water.  Both of these symbols have weight and gravity like Aristotle’s philosophies because he focuses on what we can see.  Plato and Aristotle’s outfits contrast each other to help the viewer see the differences in thought the two have (Khan Academy). 

Another thing that can be noticed when you first look at Raphael’s School of Athens is how the fresco’s characters are divided into groups.  There seems to be invisible lines that separate the painting into groups. The first groupings are Plato’s and Aristotle’s.  The two seem to be in the direct center and separate the fresco in half because there isn’t anyone in front of them to blur that invisible line. Plato’s half has the statue of the god Apollo on it; Apollo is the god of music and light and poetry so it is fitting that he is on Plato’s side since he is more of an abstract thinker.  Also, on Plato’s half there are groups of people writing thoughts and music, which also makes sense to be on Plato’s side.  On Aristotle’s half there is a statue of the god Athena; she is the god of war and strategy which is fitting on Aristotle’s side since Athena deals more with human matters.  Also, on Aristotle’s side are people doing geometry and talking about the earth which can coincide with Aristotle’s philosophies on what is actually there.  The other way the fresco can be separated is by height; there is a distinction or invisible line of people on top of the stairs and the people below them.  On top of the stairs, the people seem to be discussing many different things and aren’t using any physical elements.  They can be interpreted as philosophers because they are higher up than the rest as if they are thinking on a more celestial or transcendental way.  The people below the stairs are discussing mathematics and the planets and music.  They can be interpreted as mathematicians or scientist because they’re using figures and numbers and algorithms to get facts.  The way this fresco is separated helps the viewer to see clear distinctions within the painting so they can better understand it.

In conclusion, Raphael’s School of Athens is a fresco that communicates the history of  the science of philosophy and mathematics by using specific colors and visual cues.  This can only be seen through careful analyzation of the history and time period in which the fresco was painted.  Raphael was flawlessly able to create movement with the characters that makes it understandable what is going on within the fresco.  Overall, the School of Athens is a stunning piece of renaissance artwork that will continue to be analyzed for many more years to come.
