School of Athens is one of the most famous painting (fresco) by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael. It was painted somewhere between the years 1509 and 1511. The painting represents all the greatest mathematicians, philosophers and scientists from classical antiquity gathered together sharing their ideas and learning from each other. ("Raphael, School of Athens", (n.d.)). They may all have lived during different generations, but in this painting, they were gathered together under the same roof.

In the very center of the picture, the two thinkers, Aristotle and Plato can be seen standing side by side. These figures are important to the Western thinking as their philosophies contributed greatly into Christianity. Plato holds his book called the Timaeus and points up because in his philosophy the changing world that we see around us is just a shadow of a higher, truer reality that is eternal and unchanging. As for Aristotle, he holds his book called Ethics and holds his hands down, his philosophy being the only reality is the one that we can see and experience by sight and touch.

Pythagoras is also featured inside the painting. He can be seen writing in his book on the lower left part of the painting. Pythagoras believed that mathematical laws operated the world, including the movement of stars and planets. According to his belief, the mathematical laws were related to ideas of musical and cosmic harmony, and to God. On the lower right part of painting, Ptolemy can be seen with his back on us, holding a sphere of the Earth. Next to him, holding a celestial sphere, stood Zaroaster. Ptolemy explained the movement of the planets and believed that all planets moved around the Earth in circles. Raphael included a self-portrait of himself, standing next to Ptolemy. He looks right out at us. ("Raphael, School of Athens", (n.d.)).

I think that the School of Athens is a magnificent painting because in just one canvas, there are a lot that can be learned about the historical figures that contributed their philosophies to the world. 

References

Raphael, School of Athens. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2017, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/renaissance-art-europe-ap/a/raphael-school-of-athens