Sunday, 11 November 2012


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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