Raphael of Urbino
Painter and Architect
“The
liberality with which Heaven now and again unites in one person the
inexhaustible riches of its treasures and all those graces and rare gifts which
are usually shared among many over a long period is seen in Raphael Sanzio of
Urbino.”
Giorgio Vasari
Painted between
1510 and 1511 as a part of Raphael's commission to decorate with frescoes the
rooms now known as the Stanze di Raphael in the Apostolic Palace in the
Vatican, The School of Athens has
been a painting that I have always loved.
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
to explain the painting. Compounding the problem, Raphael had to invent a
system of iconography to allude to various figures for whom there were no
traditional visual types. Socrates, , Plato according to Vasari, the scene
includes Raphael himself, the Duke of Mantua, Zoroaster and some Evangelists.
In the
foreground two figures dominate, Aristotle on the right, Plato on the left
pointing upwards. The architecture and setting of the piece was inspired by the
work of Bramante who, according to Vasari, helped Raphael with the architecture
in the picture. Some even say that the setting may be St. Peters Basilica.
Raphael’s perspective is astounding in this piece as exhibited by the
architecture. The delicacy and softness he gives to his figures is astounding.
Overall, in my mind, this piece has outshined most of Raphael’s other pieces.
“We may
indeed say that those who possess such gifts as Raphael are not mere men, but
rather mortal gods, and that those who by their works leave an honoured name
among us on the roll of fame may hope to receive a fitting reward in heaven for
their labours and their merits.” - Vasari
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