Santi Raffaello was born in early April 1483 in central Italy. Often his surname sounded in a Latin manner as Santzio or Santius. The artist himself, deducing the signature on his canvases, used the Latinized version of his name - Raphael. Under this name, he became famous throughout the world. And his large-scale fresco "Athenian school" became known even to those who are very far from the world of fine art.
The first steps in art
As a child, Raffaello knew that he would be an artist. His first experiments in drawing took place under the strict guidance of his father - Giovanni Santi. Along with the lessons of the parent, the future master mastered the painting technique by Timoteo Viti, a well-known Umbrian artist in those days. When Santi Jr. was 16 years old, he was apprenticed to Pietro Vannuci. Under the influence of this man, Raphael reached true heights of mastery and perfectly studied the basic techniques of art.
The earliest, youthful paintings by Raphael are three canvases: “The Archangel Michael, defeating Satan” (today the work is in Paris), “The Dream of a Knight” (the place of exposition is London) and “Three Graces” (his last refuge is Chantilly). Thus began the career of Rafael Santi. The Athens School appeared when the author was 25 years old.
The greatest of frescoes
Raphael arrived in the Eternal City in 1508. Here he was invited by Pope Julius II. Here the artist was to paint the stanzas (ceremonial halls) of the Vatican Palace. Rafael was painted by Stanza della Senyatura, conveying four spheres of human mental activity in picturesque images: “Disputation” (theology), “Athenian school” (philosophy), “Parnassus” (poetry) and “Wisdom, Measure, Strength” (jurisprudence). And the maestro painted the ceiling with paintings that ideologically resonated with the main compositions and bearing a biblical, allegorical and mythological meaning.
The painting "Athenian school" became the embodiment of the greatness of philosophy and science. The main paradigm of the fresco is also one of the most important thoughts of humanists. It can be roughly formulated as the possibility of a harmonious agreement between the different branches of science and philosophy. The arches of the magnificent architectural masterpiece are decorated with groups of scientists and philosophers of ancient Greece.
"School of Athens" (Raphael). Description
In total, the picture depicts more than fifty figures. In the center of the fresco are Aristotle and Plato. They convey the wisdom of antiquity and represent two philosophical schools. Plato points a finger at heaven, and Aristotle extends his hand above the earth. A warrior dressed in a helmet is Alexander the Great. He carefully listens to the great Socrates, and he bends his fingers in his hands, telling something amazing. On the left side, near the stairs, the students surrounded Pythagoras, who is busy solving mathematical problems. The "School of Athens" also found a place for Epicurus, whom Rafael depicted in a wreath of grape leaves.
For the image of Michelangelo, the artist chose the image of Heraclitus and painted it as a person who, leaning on a cube, sits in a thoughtful pose. Diogenes sits on the stairs . To his right is Euclid, who measures something on a geometric drawing using a compass. Stair steps are the stages at which the mastery of truth takes place. The company of Euclid was Ptolemy (holding the globe in his hands) and Zoroaster (holding the globe of the sky). To their right is the figure of Raphael himself, looking at the audience.
Other characters
Despite the fact that the “School of Athens” is a fresco depicting more than 50 characters, it feels light and spacious, typical of Santi’s manner. In addition to the above-described figures, the canvas presents to the public and such characters as Speckwippe (a philosopher depicted with a beard and a toga in brown), Meneksen (a philosopher dressed in a toga in blue), Xenocrates (a philosopher in a toga in white). There is also Pythagoras painted with a book in his hands, Critius (in a pink robe), Diagor Melossky - a poet with a naked torso, and other historical figures.
Like all world art masterpieces, the Athens School presents a couple of unknown figures to the public. So, no one knows who is depicted in the fresco on one leg, and who owns the back in pink clothes. But the artist’s favorite is easy to identify: she personifies Hypatia.
Interesting facts about the Athens School
The stanzas in the Vatican were painted by the genius Raphael for ten years - from 1508 to 1518. Santi himself only worked for four years (1508-1512). The rest of the time, the painting was performed by the students of the maestro under his control. There is one accidental, but very interesting coincidence: Rafael worked on the Stanzi for four years, and for the same number of years worked on the Sistine ceiling of Michelangelo.
The name of the famous fresco does not belong to Raphael. Historical sources say that at the very beginning the picture was called “Philosophy”. "Athenian school" - a name that does not fully correspond to what is depicted on the canvas. In the picture, besides the philosophers from Athens, there are many people who have never been in this city in their lives. In addition, the fresco contains representatives of different eras who lived in different countries, and therefore did not have the opportunity to meet together at the same time.
The death of a great artist
Having lived only 37 years old, on April 6, 1520 (on his birthday), the great Rafael Santi died. The "Athenian school" remained alive for centuries. The earthly being of the maestro was bright and short, like a comet. But this time allotted by fate was enough for Rafael to be remembered as the greatest artist of the Renaissance.
Santi’s death was sudden, it interrupted the rivalry of the two greatest geniuses of his time. Both took part in the decoration and creation of the Vatican. It's about Raphael and Michelangelo. Despite the fact that the latter was older than Santi, he survived it for many years.
Rafael died in Rome, and his ashes were buried with honors that were worthy of such an unsurpassed genius and symbol of the era. There was not a single artist who would not spend the last journey of the author of the Athenian School and did not mourn the maestro.