Essay - The School of Athens' an Illustration of Renaissance Thought the...

The School of Athens"

An Illustration of Renaissance Thought

***** European renaissance can be descri*****d as a synthesis of learning, an appreciation of antiquity, a rebellion against the religious infusion of the Middle Ages, and an emph*****is on hum*****ism. Although Guisepi argues that the Renaissance is ongoing because humanity is still progressing toward new heights, ***** accepted date of the European Rena*****sance, which began in Italy, is during the fourteenth century. While the Middle ***** had certainly seen many contributions to history and culture in the form of artwork, literature, and ***** like, the Renaissance was ***** era of innum*****ble contributions (Guisepi). ***** the emphasis of the Middle Ages ***** on God and the Church, ***** focus ***** the Renaissance returned to humans and their ability to create beauty, learn, and make scientific discoveries. While the Renaissance was not necessarily a denial of Christian ideas, it did shift power from God and Christ as ***** center of religion to humans ***** those who could evaluate ***** choose religions for themselves. In addition, to this principal of humanism, the Renaissance was characterized by an interest in antiquity, ***** classical *****ing of Greek and Rome. Renaissance scholars were *****ed in the methods through which the classical Greek ***** Roman teachers and learners ***** made their inquiries and *****. Thus, the European ***** can be descri*****d by many characteristics. Two ***** the most prominent, however, are an interest in ***** ********** ***** learning, as well as a focus on humanism.

Raphael's "The School of Athens" is blends perfectly these two characteristics in order to present a painting that is a nearly perfect depiction of the ideals behind ***** European Renaissance. The painting pictures over forty figures congregated at the Lyceum. The linear perspective allows Raphael to make the objects appear as if they are three-dimensional on the two dimensional canvas. ***** not all of the figures can be identified, Plato and Aristotle are pictured on either side of the vanishing point to highlight their importance (Lahanas). According to Michael Lahanas, the figures featured in the painting suggest that Raphael "had some knowledge of Greek philosophy ***** Science. We ***** c*****sider 'The School ***** *****' as a 'visualization of knowledge.'" In addition to Plato and Aristotle, Euclid and Pythagor***** are present among others. Lahanas even suggests that the painting may be a reproduction of Pl*****to's Academy. This concept would emphasize a commitment to learning, as ***** as an interest in antiquity and classical *****. The architecture depicted is a "modification of Bramante's first design for St. Peter (Lahanas).

The combination of classical scholars, emphasis on learning, ***** suggestion of St. Peter's draws together ***** of the relevant ***** of the Renaissance. First, Raphael most obviously alludes to the Renaissance's interest in antiquity with the identifiable Greek scholars. That two of ***** most prominent classical philosophers are prominent, suggesting not only their importance, but also the importance ***** the ***** period. In *****, ***** situation in which the philosophers ***** located places an emphasis on