interlocking limbs of his figures and made the baby’s elbow the pivotal point of the image.
Make a drawing in a circle. Work out a harmonious composition that has balance and symmetry.
The School of Athens
The frescoes in the Stanze Raphael (Raphael Rooms) in Vatican are the artist’s most celebrated
work. These rooms were once part of Pope Julius II’s private residence. The most famous fresco, The School of Athens (Fig. 6.24), is in the Stanza della Segnatura (the pope’s personal library), so it reflects his interest in philosophy, law and poetry.
The theme of The School of Athens is the Renaissance Humanist idea of harmony between Christian and ancient Greek philosophy. The ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle stand at the
Figure 6.24 The School of Athens, 1510–12, by Raphael, fresco, 500 × 770 cm, Stanze Raphael, the Vatican. The great philosophers and mathematicians of ancient Greece are shown as colleagues in a great academy.
Figure 6.25 The School of Athens – composition. The perspective lines converge at the centre with the philosopher Plato. The groupings and poses of the figures interacting in philosophical debate were unlike anything seen in earlier painting and resulted in a harmonious, balanced composition.
CHAPTER 6 A GOLDEN AGE: THE HIGH RENAISSANCE IN ROME, FLORENCE AND VENICE
