The author of the painting is the Athenian school. Raphael santi

At the end of 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned the young artist Rafael Santi of Urbino to paint one of the premises of the Vatican Palace, which became known as Stanza della Signatura. Why was such a significant work entrusted to a 25-year-old artist, bypassing more experienced and famous masters? It is hard to say. Probably thanks to the patronage of Bramante, the papal architect. The one who designed and began to build St. Peter's Cathedral. True, in order to complete it after the death of the court architect, it was necessary to expel three more architects (including Raphael) and contract Michelangelo, who (with terrible cursing) nevertheless made the great plan a reality. Albeit with significant adjustments. But more about that some other time.

In the meantime, about the painting of Stanza della Signatura. As we already know, Raphael was supposed to draw. But to develop the theme and idea of the painting, a special commission of theologians, philosophers and other experts was called. The giants of thought decided: to glorify philosophy on two blank (almost) walls (“ School of athens") And theology (" Dispute "); on the walls with doors - arts ("Parnassus") and jurisprudence with other socially useful skills ("Virtues and the Law").

But the commission did not finish it. No, Raphael's professional skills were excellent. He just had a sense of humor. And ideas. Okay, the artist did not admit to anyone that in the "Dispute" he painted Savonarola, excommunicated from the church. Somehow it slipped through. But when Julius II came to inspect the initiated "Virtues and the Law" ... he saw a decrepit bearded old man on the papal throne, suspiciously similar to himself.
- Do I look so decrepit ?! The hierarch asked menacingly.
The answer was silence - for everyone knew perfectly well that an incorrect answer could very well be punished with a weighty papal staff. The most quick-witted courtiers began to push out before the formidable eyes of Raphael: he himself, they say, painted - let him puff himself.
- Your Holiness! - said the artist - This is the image of your predecessor, Gregory IX. And since his wisdom and his great deeds are similar to yours, it is not at all surprising that his appearance reminds you a little!
Judging by the fact that Julius II then handed over to Raphael the order for painting the rest of the halls of the palace (having dismissed the painters who had already started work), he was pleased with the explanation.

"I can explain everything!" - very good phrase… if really can. Although - if you recall the stormy, confusing and multifaceted personal life of the artist - Raphael had a great practice of all-explanations.

One way or another, but he painted the "School of Athens", having a certain freedom of action. He painted a lot of architecture in the antique spirit (as it was then understood). They say that the building depicted in the fresco is very similar to the project of St. Peter's Cathedral by Bramante. Raphael was very fond of architecture and wanted to be an architect; True, he was not very successful - he could not understand why such a beautiful, thin, Ionic column could not hold the magnificent, massive, solemn Roman arch (his patron, Bramante, it should be noted, did not understand this very well either). But, nevertheless, he painted very beautiful buildings. With beautiful decorative details - and in the "School of Athens" he did not forget to install the statues of Apollo and Athena, who patronized wisdom, philosophy, sciences and arts.

And in this lush setting, he placed many arguing, debating, reading, writing and listening philosophers.

Let's start with the center pieces. This is Plato and Aristotle. Plato points a finger to heaven: they say, an idea! Aristotle stretched out his hand over the earth - no, matter, nature, study, classification! (It is said that the humanities descended from Plato, and the techies from Aristotle). Remember I mentioned the Raphael sense of humor? So: Plato has the head of Leonardo da Vinci, and Aristotle has the head of the Florentine architect Giuliano da Sangallo, who was considered the best architect in Italy (which, in all likelihood, did not really please Bramante, who was at enmity with Sangallo and intercepted from him - thanks to intrigue - the order to St. Peter's Cathedral). A little lower, in a blue tunic, Diogenes is reclining on the stairs. Before Diogenes, leaning on a marble cube, the wise Heraclitus writes something ... with the head of Michelangelo. Perhaps the author wanted to hint that the views of Michelangelo are as obscure and obscure as the philosophy of Heraclitus. Personally, I wonder why Raphael dressed Buonarotti in "barbarian" boots instead of classic and decent sandals. Although, they say, Michelangelo was pleased with his portrait. He even praised him. Aloud. “It's good that the Urbino man was smart enough not to put me in the crowd of these talkers,” he grumbled. Believe me, in the mouth of Michelangelo, this was the most real praise. Parmenides is behind Signor Buonarotti. Next to Parmenides is a mysterious figure in white. There are the following versions: Raphael himself (I'm afraid that even for him two self-portraits in one picture is too much); Francesco della Rovere, aristocrat and condottiere (nothing is known about his special friendship with Raphael, moreover, there are hints that Raphael had serious blood claims); Margarita Luti, Fornarina (Baker), Raphael's mistress - I think this is the most likely option. Although I wonder what the artist said about this to Pope Julia? Closer to us, with a pen and a book, sits Pythagoras; Boethius (according to other versions, Anaximander or Empedocles) and ... the Arab Averroes (aka Ibn Rushd) are spying on him from behind. Further, on the left, an exceptionally warm company has settled. These are Epicurus in an ivy wreath (which wreath was the symbol of Bacchus) and Zeno of Kitia, a stoic. A wonderful neighborhood - a cheerful life-lover and gloomy (albeit caustically witty) ascetic. Further (if you move clockwise) there is a noticeable group of six people. The main one in it is Socrates, persistently explaining something to attentive listeners. Among the listeners should be: Timon, Xenophon, Antisvena and Alcibiades (who can be recognized by a rich helmet). Note that the adherents of ethical philosophy, "lyricism", are grouped on the side of Plato; the foreground is occupied by “non-format” figures - or those who were equally involved in ethics and physics; or those who were doing something incomprehensible at all - like Diogenes or Heraclitus. And on the right - "physicists" are grouped. In the foreground is Euclid, measuring something with a compass in front of a group of young people. Euclid portrays Bramante. Next to him are two strange characters - in a crown and with a globe (Ptolemy) and with a celestial sphere (Zoroaster, as they say). Zoroaster slipped into the company of physicists due to the fact that he was considered the ancestor of the Babylonian magicians; which, in turn, stood at the origins of astrology and astronomy. Plotinus (with the head of Donatello) rises above Zoroaster in splendid isolation. From our modern point of view, the company of physicists is not very suitable for him; but, considering the influence of neo-Platonism on St. Augustine ... in general, theology in those days is not philosophy for you, but also an exact science :).

This is a fresco by Raphael Santi. It was first described by Giorgio Vasari in his "Biographies of the most famous painters, sculptors and architects". This one of the most famous frescoes depicts the entire philosophical school of antiquity. It is performed in the stanzas of the Pope.

The history of the creation of the fresco is as follows: “who was in the service of Julius II Bramante from Urbino, a distant relative and fellow countryman of Raphael, wrote to him that he had obtained from the Pope the opportunity to show his skill in the paintings that this Pope ordered for some of his chambers. This proposal pleased Raphael, and he moved to Rome, abandoning his Florentine works and his unfinished image for the Dei family. "

Let me remind you that the indicated Vasari Bramante is Donato Bramante, one of the greatest Italian architects. At first he tried himself as an artist, but soon realized that architecture was closer to him. And, just, under Pope Julius II, he was the chief architect and carried out large-scale work in the Vatican. Bramante is considered the pearl of classical architecture and the Renaissance.

“Upon his arrival in Rome, Raphael discovered that most of the palace chambers had already been painted, or, in any case, were still painted by many masters. Thus, one could already see in one of them the finished story written by Piero della Francesca, on the other wall a fresco successfully completed by Luca of Cortona, and something was begun by the Abbot Pietro della Gatta, rector of the Church of San Clemente in Arezzo; in the same way, Bramantino of Milan painted many figures there, most of which were made by him from life and was revered as the finest work.

And so Raphael, who had barely arrived and had already been kindly treated by Pope Julius in every possible way, proceeded alone, where papal decrees were signed, to create a story depicting theologians who reconcile theology with philosophy and astrology. It features sages from all over the world, arguing with each other in every way. Several astrologers stand to the side, inscribed on special tablets geometric figures and writing in accordance with all the rules of geometry and astrology and sending these tablets through the medium of very beautiful angels to evangelists who are busy interpreting the signs inscribed on them. Among them is Diogenes with his bowl, reclining on the steps, a figure - very deliberate in his detachment and worthy of praise for beauty and for such suitable clothes for her. There are also Aristotle and Plato, one of whom holds Timaeus in his hands, and the other - Ethics, and a whole school of philosophers has gathered around them. The beauty of the above-mentioned astrologers and geometers, tracing all kinds of figures and signs on the tablets with a compass, is truly inexpressible. Among them there is a portrait of Federigo II, Duke of Mantua, who was at that time in Rome, in the image of an impeccably handsome young man, spreading his arms in surprise and bowing his head, as well as the figure of a man leaning to the ground and driving a compass over the slabs, about which they say that this is an architect Bramante. He looks so much like that he seems alive. And next to him - a figure from the back, holding in his hands celestial sphere, this is a portrait of Zoroaster. And right there, Raphael himself, the creator of this work, depicted himself in the mirror. This is the head of a young man in a black cap, in whose guise modesty is combined with the charm of affectionate kindness.

Equally inexpressible is the beauty in the heads and figures of the evangelists, to whose faces he has given attentiveness and concentration that are extremely natural, especially for people who write. So he portrayed St. Matthew, who, reading from the tablets that the angel holds in front of him, the figures and letters inscribed on them, enters them into his book, and behind him is the old man, who spread the scroll on his knee and rewrote everything that was set forth by Matthew in his book , and it seems that he, all absorbed in this troublesome occupation, moves his lips and shakes his head as he retards or accelerates the movement of his pen. And in addition to subtle observations, of which there are many in this composition, there is so much order and measure in its construction, and Raphael gave in it such an example of his skill that he, as it were, announced his decision to take an undeniable primacy among all whoever took up the brush ... And besides, he adorned this work of his both with perspective, and with many figures, painted by him in such a subtle and soft manner that this served as a reason for Pope Julius to order all the stories of both old and new masters to be knocked down along with the plaster, and thus Raphael alone could boast that he had benefited from all the labors that had been invested in these works before him. "

Saint Matthew, about whom Vasari speaks, is now considered by art critics to be Pythagoras. Now, in more detail about each figure, because in order to understand this picture, you must first of all feel the full depth of Raphael's plan. On the fresco, I counted 54 figures, of various ages and sometimes very invisible. But the main ones are striking, and let's start with them. In the center, Plato is depicted - an already graying old man (left) and a young Aristotle (right). Plato points his hand up, Aristotle points to lower part... What does it mean?

Let's talk in more detail about each. Plato, depicted as an old man, is slightly different from other images of Plato. Raphael gave him a likeness to Leonardo da Vinci. Plato (428/7 - 348 / BC) was the ancient Greek philosopher and teacher of Aristotle. Plato's real name is Aristocles, and he received the nickname Plato in his youth, at about 20 years old he met Socrates and followed his teachings. Plato traveled a lot after the death of Socrates, but at 40 he came to Athens. There he acquired the gardens of the Academy and established a philosophical school called the Academy. He wrote his works in the form of dialogues, one of which, probably Timaeus (one of the few known in the Renaissance), he holds in his hand. Timaeus, an astronomer and a Pythagorean, tells Critias and Socrates about the creation of the visible cosmos by the Demiurge: “Are we right speaking about one sky, or would it be more correct to speak about many, perhaps even innumerable many? No, it is one, since it is created in accordance with the prototype. After all, that which embraces all intelligible living beings does not allow anything else next to it; otherwise, one more creature would be required, which would embrace these two and whose parts they would be, and no longer them, but it would be more correct to consider him, who contained them, as a model for the cosmos. So, in order for the work to be like an all-perfect living being in its uniqueness, the creator did not create either two or an infinite number of cosmos, only this one-begotten heaven, having arisen, remains and will remain. So, bodily, and therefore visible and tangible - this is how that which was born should be. However, nothing can become visible without the participation of fire, and tangible without something solid, but nothing can become solid without earth. For this reason, God, starting to compose the body of the Universe, created it from fire and earth. "However, two members by themselves cannot be well conjugated without a third, for it is necessary that between one and the other a certain bond was born that unites them. of connections such that to the greatest extent unites itself and the connected, and this task the best way fulfills the proportion, because when out of three numbers - both cubic and square - for any average number, the first relates to the average as the average to the last, and accordingly the last to the average, as the average to the first, then when moving the averages to the first and the last place, and the last and the first, on the contrary, in the middle places, it turns out that the ratio necessarily remains the same, and as soon as this is so, then all these numbers form a unity among themselves. Moreover, if the body of the Universe were to become a simple plane without depth, one middle term would be enough to pair it with the extreme ones. However, it had to become three-dimensional, and three-dimensional objects never mate through one middle term, but always through two. Therefore, God placed water and air between fire and earth, after which he established the most accurate relationships between them, so that air relates to water, like fire to air, and water relates to earth, like air to water. So he mated them, building from them the sky, visible and tangible. On such bases and from such four constituent parts, the body of the cosmos was born, ordered due to proportion, and thanks to this friendship arose in it, so that no one can destroy its self-identity, except only the one who himself united it. At the same time, each of the four parts became part of the cosmos as a whole: the organizer made it up from all fire, from all water, and air, and earth, leaving not a single part or force outside the cosmos. He meant, firstly, that the cosmos should be an integral and perfect living being with perfect parts; further, so that the cosmos remains the only one and that there are no remnants from which another, similar one, could be born, and, finally, so that it is non-decrepit and not involved in ailments. It occurred to the organizer that if the body with complex composition will be surrounded from the outside by warmth, cold and other powerful forces, then, in an unkind hour, falling on him, they will undermine him, plunge him into ailments and cracks

indolence and forced to perish. For this reason and in accordance with this discretion, he built the cosmos as a single whole, composed of integral parts, perfect and not involved in decrepitude and ailments. He gave the outlines to the Universe such that they would be appropriate for it and akin to it. " Reflections of Plato, which he conveyed through Timaeus, help to understand why in Raphael's painting Plato points exactly to the sky, into space. Plato discovered the world of ideas. The world is intangible, but from this it does not become less real. Plato describes "ideas" as the essence of a thing, its original conception, and every thing tends to be similar to "ideas". The material world is not ideal, the world of ideas is perfect. Plato formulated the concept of the ideal and was the first to pose the question of the opposition between idealism and materialism.

Another name for the fresco is "Philosophical Conversations", which is exactly what Plato and Aristotle are doing. Aristotle was also an ancient Greek philosopher (384 - 322 BC). Aristotle is considered the founder of the science of logic, he was educated in Athens, at the school of Plato. Subsequently, he founded his own school, named Lyceum. Aristotle developed his own ideological concept, which differed from the ideas of his teacher. Aristotle names 4 reasons for being: 1. Matter - this is the possibility of essence. 2. Form is the essence of being; it is no longer a possibility, but reality. 3. The beginning of the movement 4. The goal is good. Aristotle has the idea of successive transitions from matter to form and vice versa. It was in matter that Aristotle considered the possibility of the existence of all that exists. That is why Aristotle Raphael points to the earthly world.

The figures of Plato and Aristotle are located in the center, they attract attention to themselves. There are many more people standing around them. But Raphael created this fresco in such a way that it does not feel that there are a lot of people. They are grouped and from this create the feeling of an even larger space.

Below, on the steps, which also symbolize the stages of knowledge, is Diogenes (c. 412 - c. 323 BC) - the ancient Greek philosopher and founder of the Cynic school. None of the writings of Diogenes have survived, but conclusions about the essence of his teachings can be made on the basis of later messages. The philosopher taught that a person has very few natural needs, and all of them can be easily satisfied. Moreover, nothing natural, according to Diogenes, can be shameful. Limiting his needs, Diogenes diligently indulged in asceticism and foolishness, which served as the basis for numerous anecdotes about his life. He was the first Greek philosopher to preach cosmopolitanism: "I am a citizen of the world." Diogenes tried to convey to all people his conviction that giving up desires is much more virtuous and wholesome than satisfying them. They said that his teaching is the shortest path to virtue. The ideal life according to Diogenes, when a person comprehended the meaning of the external world and the main thing becomes to comprehend that state when the soul is calm. His behavior was often defiant, there are many examples of this, and his tongue was sharp. For his "shamelessness" he was nicknamed "dog". At the grave of Diogenes in Corinth, a monument was erected depicting a dog. “Even bronze decays with time, but your glory, Diogenes, will not last forever, for only you managed to convince mortals that life itself is sufficient, and indicate the simplest way life ". And here Diogenes is symbolically depicted stretched out on the stairs, in an imposing pose, alone, unlike all others depicted in the picture, it is possible that no one "obscured the sun for him."

In the lower right corner of the fresco in a red robe, Euclid, the ancient Greek mathematician, presents his drawings to others, who outlined the basics of planimetry, stereometry and problems of number theory. Many art critics note the similarity of the traits of this character with Bramante, which was mentioned above. It was Raphael's tribute to the great architect.

“The beauty in the heads and figures of the evangelists is also inexpressible, to whose faces he has given attentiveness and concentration, extremely natural, especially for people who write. So he portrayed St. Matthew, who, reading from the tablets that the angel holds in front of him, the figures and letters inscribed on them, enters them into his book, and behind him is the old man, who spread the scroll on his knee and rewrote everything that was set forth by Matthew in his book and it seems that he, all absorbed in this troublesome occupation, moves his lips and shakes his head as he retards or accelerates the movement of his pen. " This person is in the lower left corner of the mural. But now art critics agree that Raphael did not portray Saint Matthew. Before us is Pythagoras, who, like the great figures Italian Renaissance combined many talents, for which he was especially revered by them. Pythagoras lived in Ancient Greece, in 570-490 BC, was a philosopher, mathematician and became the founder of his own school, called the "school of the Pythagoreans." Behind him are several more figures that form a single image in the picture.

One level above depicts Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher, from whose ideas developed philosophical doctrine, very significant in the days of Antiquity - Epicureanism. To the left of Plato and Aristotle is another group of people, including Alexander the Great and Socrates. Socrates Lived in 469-399 BC, and was an ancient Greek philosopher from Athens, one of the founders of dialectics. As already mentioned, Plato was one of his students.

Alexander the Great wanted to rule both the West and the East, and according to legend, he cut the Gordian knot (and whoever cuts it, the whole world will be subject to it), he created a huge power, but after his death it broke up into several Hellenistic states, in which, thanks to Alexander, they united two cultures - Greek and Eastern.

At the bottom step, slightly to the right of Pythagoras, we can see Michelangelo in the image of Heraclitus. It is a tribute to Raphael to his contemporary, one of the greatest Italian sculptors and architects. He was also known as a painter and his poems have come down to us. For example, a quatrain that he wrote in response to Giovanni Strozzi on behalf of his statue of night:

It is gratifying to sleep, it is more gratifying to be a stone.

Oh, in this age, criminal and shameful,

Not to live, not to feel is an enviable lot.

Please be quiet, don't you dare wake me up!

This quatrain has an allegorical meaning.

16th century Italian art. High Renaissance.
The fresco of the artist Raphael Santi "The School of Athens" has another name - "Philosophical Conversations". The size of the fresco, the length of the base is 770 cm. After moving to Rome in 1508, Raphael was entrusted with the painting of the pope's apartments - the so-called stanzas (that is, rooms), which include three rooms on the second floor of the Vatican Palace and an adjacent hall. The general ideological program of fresco cycles in the stanzas, according to the plan of the customers, was to serve to glorify the authority of the Catholic Church and its head, the Roman high priest. Along with allegorical and biblical images, episodes from the history of the papacy are captured in some frescoes, portraits of Julius II and his successor Leo X are included in some compositions. Often the very choice of subjects for frescoes carries a certain allegory. But the figurative content of Raphael's compositions is not only broader than this official program, but in essence contradicts it, expressing the ideas of universal humanistic content.

In this regard, the general design of the first of the stanzas painted by Raphael is indicative - the so-called Stanza della Senyatura (which in translation means the signature room - here the papal decrees were sealed). Apparently, one of the representatives of humanistic thought grouped around the papal court took part in drawing up the program for its painting. The theme of the painting is four areas of human spiritual activity: theology is the fresco "Dispute", philosophy - "The Athenian School", poetry - "Parnassus", justice - "Wisdom, Moderation and Strength". On the vault above each fresco there is an allegorical figure in a round frame, symbolizing each of these activities, and in the corner parts of the vault there are small compositions, also related in their theme to the content of the corresponding frescoes.

The best fresco of the stanzas and the greatest work of Raphael in general should be recognized as the "School of Athens". This composition of the artist is one of the most striking evidence of the triumph in the Renaissance art of humanistic ideas and their deep connections with ancient culture. In a grandiose suite of majestic arched spans, Raphael presented a collection of ancient thinkers and scientists. In the center, among the characters grouping at powerful arched foundations, in the niches of which the statues of Apollo and Minerva are placed, Plato and Aristotle are depicted. Their gestures - the first pointing to the sky, the second extending his hand to the ground - give an idea of the nature of their teaching. To the left of Plato - Socrates, talking with the audience, among whom stands out the young Alcibiades in an armor and a helmet. Directly on the steps, like a beggar at the stairs of a temple, the founder of the school of cynics, Diogenes, is at ease. Below, in the foreground, are two symmetrically placed groups: on the left - Pythagoras with his disciples, kneeling on one knee with a book in his hands; on the right, also surrounded by students, flexible, beautiful youths - Euclid (or Archimedes); bending down low, he draws with a compass on the lying on the floor slate board... To the right of this group are Zoroaster and Ptolemy (wearing a crown), each of them holding a sphere in his hand. At the very edge of the fresco, Raphael depicted himself and the painter Sodoma, who had begun work in this stanza before him. In the foreground, slightly shifted from the center to the left, Heraclitus of Ephesus is depicted sitting deep in thought.

The figures in the School of Athens are larger than in the Dispute, and the whole fresco looks more monumental. The characteristics of the characters have acquired special prominence. Plato and Aristotle turned out to be the spiritual focus of this collection not only due to their central position in the composition, but also to the significance of the images. In their posture, in their gait, there is a truly regal grandeur, just as on their faces we feel the imprint of a great thought. These are the most ideal images of the fresco; it is not for nothing that the prototype of Plato in the Raphael composition was a man of such an outstanding appearance as Leonardo da Vinci. The appearance of some other philosophers and scientists is more endowed with the features of life characteristic. So, in the image of Euclid, busy solving some geometric problem, the architect Bramante is depicted with his powerful, enlarged bald head. Magnificent in its laconic expressiveness is the image of the stoic Zeno, placed at the top on the right side of the fresco: already in one silhouette of his figure wrapped in a dark cloak, separated by intervals from other characters, the feeling of his spiritual loneliness is conveyed. II, finally, the captivating image of Heraclitus with its poetic power, inspired by the prophets of Michelangelo from the plafond of the Sistine Chapel. According to some researchers, in the gloomy Heraclitus, Raphael captured the appearance of Michelangelo himself. But no matter how expressive the individual portrayal of the characters is, it is no less important that the general atmosphere of high spiritual uplift characteristic of the "Athenian School" is expressed in the entire pictorial structure of the fresco.

An important role in achieving this impression is played by the nature of the environment surrounding the participants in the scene. If in the "Dispute" in the symmetry and geometric correctness of its upper part there is a shade of harmony, as it were, predetermined from above, then the real environment of the "Athenian School" - magnificent architecture - is perceived as an act of human reason and hands, as the realization of its lofty creative thought. While in the characters of Disputes there is - in accordance with its idea - a shade of reverent contemplation in the face of the highest truth, the characters of the Athenian School are characterized by a special inner activity, heightened spiritual energy. The viewer is captured by the feeling of the undivided power of the human mind, embracing the whole world. The expressiveness of individual images and groups in the "School of Athens" is enhanced by compositional means. So, despite the fact that Plato and Aristotle are depicted in the background, among many other participants in the scene, Raphael achieved their clear separation due to the fact that the most distant of the arches of the majestic suite includes only these two figures. But it is even more important that both of them are depicted not standing still, but walking forward, directly at the viewer. Their solemn gait, as if inextricably linked with the movement of powerful architectural masses and arched spans, not only gives the main characters of the fresco the function of a dynamic center of the composition, but also gives them an increased power of imaginative influence. Starting from the depths, this movement seems to be resolved in a plane, spreading in breadth and harmoniously ending with a powerful arched embrace of the semicircular frame of the fresco.

It has been suggested that the architectural background of the "School of Athens" was inspired by the project of St. Peter's Cathedral, which was being developed by Bramante at that time. Regardless of whether the design of the background goes back to Bramante or belongs to Raphael himself, we have before us the most classic of all images of the monumental architecture of the Renaissance, the purest expression of the spirit of the High Renaissance itself, unfortunately, on such a scale did not receive practical implementation in the architecture of that time. As for the coloring of the "School of Athens", in accordance with the nature of the images and the predominance of linear-plastic means of expressiveness, the object qualities of color and its independent expressiveness recede into the background in this fresco.

Before Stanza della Senyatura, Raphael rarely had to deal with frescoes, but he was surprisingly confident in coping with his task and wrote his famous Vatican fresco "The School of Athens" (1509), which became one of the greatest masterpieces not only of Raphael, but of all painting of the Renaissance ... Raphael created this monumental fresco when he was only 25 years old and became one of the masterpieces of the High Renaissance. The fresco depicts the world of ancient philosophers whose ideas inspired Renaissance artists. Under the majestic cylindrical vaults of a fictional ancient building, we see all the prominent philosophers of antiquity, talking with their students. It was these conversations that contributed to the development of philosophical thought.

The School of Athens, as this fresco began to be called many years after it was painted, depicts the Academy founded by Plato in Athens in the 4th century BC. NS. Raphael, like his contemporaries, was well aware that the meetings of this Academy were held in the open air, in an olive grove. But nevertheless, the artist chooses the background of a majestic building, sustained in classic style... Perhaps Raphael came to this decision because such a structure seemed to him a more fitting place for the birth of the lofty ideas of the Golden Age than any natural landscape. And the fact that the building depicted in the fresco in its architecture is closer to the classical Roman than to greek style, emphasizes the fusion of two cultures that took place in the Italian Renaissance under the influence of the philosophical ideas of Ancient Greece. When looking at the fresco, the base of which is located above the door, the vaults depicted on it seem to go into infinity, although in fact the height of the fresco is only four times the height of a person. Raphael builds the architecture of the building depicted on the fresco according to the laws of the theater, and on this stage, as on a stage, he effectively and harmoniously arranges human figures.

In an image larger than human figures and a marble sculpture above them Greek god Apollo used a counterpost, which is often found in the works of Michelangelo. The embodiment of masculine beauty and intelligence, Apollo was also the god of music, symbolized by the lyre he holds in his hands. In the opposite nave, in a wall niche, stands a symmetrically located statue of Minerva, the goddess of war and wisdom, patroness of all educational institutions. In his works, Pythagoras (c. 580-c. 500 BC) tried to connect mathematics and music, therefore it is deeply symbolic that his figure is depicted under the statue of Apollo. On the tablet in his hands are inscribed mathematical formulas, with the help of which he strove to describe musical harmony, which should have become the key to understanding the harmony of the world. Plato used these formulas to calculate the harmonious proportions of the soul, and this idea was described in detail by him in the treatise Timaeus, with which he is depicted in the fresco.

On this fresco, Raphael also painted his self-portrait, and behind his back, perhaps, a portrait of his teacher, Perugino. In the same group we see Ptolemy holding the earth's sphere in his hand (Ptolemy lived in the II century BC, was an astronomer and claimed that the Earth is the center of the Universe). It is believed that the figure holding the celestial sphere in his hand belongs to the Persian prophet Zoroaster. The half-naked figure sitting on the steps in an extremely uncomfortable position is the Greek Cynic Diogenes (c. 400-325 BC), whose philosophy was based on the adoption of an ascetic lifestyle as the only way to achieve true independence and freedom. Diogenes himself completely denied all comforts and lived on the outskirts of Athens in a barrel of baked clay. The bald mathematician Euclid (Vasari claims that this is a portrait of Rafael's comrade, the architect Bramante) shows drawings traced on a tablet that should confirm his geometric idea. Euclid's students are depicted so that by their gestures and facial expressions we can trace at what stage of understanding the teacher's thoughts each of them is.

Not all of the figures in the fresco can be identified with absolute certainty, however, the great Greek philosophers Plato (427-347 BC) and his student Aristotle (384-322 BC) are easily recognizable by the titles of the books, which they hold in their hands. Plato's hand is facing upward, and Aristotle's hand is facing downward, open palm to the ground. In these gestures, their philosophical ideas are concentrated - in Plato they are more abstract, in Aristotle they are more practical and logical. Aristotle and Plato stand side by side at the top of the stairs. Three vaults, following one after the other, frame them. The viewer's attention is immediately focused on their figures. They are the center of the composition. With his left hand, Aristotle holds his Ethics, with a movement with his right he calms down the inspired pathos of Plato. His figure stands out easily and freely. The nobility of movements, soft curves of the shoulders, arms and folds of clothes, dark and light alternating tones give it smooth regularity, grace and harmony. The softness of the contour and the freedom of movement do not detract from the majesty of Aristotle. They emphasize the even more powerful vertical of the figure of Plato and at the same time give the image of Aristotle more humanity and extraordinary picturesqueness. Elder Plato with the face of Leonardo is illuminated with inspiration. He looks like biblical prophet... Pointing to the sky with his finger, he broadcasts about the world of ideas. Still young, strong, Aristotle is the most beautiful creation of the earth. His face, turned towards Plato against the background of floating clouds, glows with reason and kindness. Calmness, moderation, the real power that commands human passions are imprinted in his image. The ascending gesture of Plato and the grounding gesture of Aristotle testify to an ongoing dispute. What is Truth? Socrates, Heraclitus, Aesop, Pythagoras think about the same ...

But why is Raphael himself in this host of wise men? He turned his beautiful, touchingly trusting face to us, sadness in his face ... He watches dispassionately, not wanting to take part in a heated conversation, a collision of gigantic minds, or takes someone's side ...? "Painting is a philosophy," said Leonardo da Vinci. For Raphael, painting was a philosophy of beauty. In painting, he is a great idealist and a great realist at the same time. That is why Plato and Aristotle walk so equally in the "School of Athens".

In the art of Raphael, the image of a perfect person acquired a very specific expression. This is Aristotle in the "School of Athens" fez.

This fresco by Raphael is influenced by a number of earlier works by other great artists. One of them was the Altarpiece of Montefeltro by Piero della Francesca, which Raphael saw in his native Urbino, in which the Madonna, child, saints, angels and donor (customer) are depicted in the nave of a classical church against the background of a skillfully painted vault. Raphael's teacher Pietro Perugino used the classic cityscape as a background in his painting for the Sistine Chapel "Christ Handing the Keys to the Apostle Peter", just as Sandro Botticelli does in his "Adoration of the Magi". However, in his work, Raphael goes further and strengthens the internal harmonious connection between architecture and human figures, creating for this group of figures repeating in the rhythm of the architectural ensemble. The central arches of the building reinforce and emphasize the main figures - Plato and Aristotle, and at the same time create an empty space in front of them. Without the arches, the overall impression of the fresco would have been different.

The Vatican stanzas were painted by Raphael from 1508 to 1518, but the artist himself was directly involved in their painting in 1508-1512. It is accidental, but significant that the time of Raphael's work on the paintings of the Stanzas exactly coincides with the time of Michelangelo's work on the Sistine ceiling - four years.
In Stanza della Senyatura, the quintessence of humanism is embodied, the glorification of the achievements of human thought in various fields of activity: the creative genius of man, the genius of science and art - a philosophical science, like the queen of earthly sciences, and art with figures of poets from Homer to Dante and, possibly, a contemporary Raphael Ariosto.
The name of the fresco "School of Athens" was not given by Raphael himself. Initially, apparently, it was called simply "Philosophy". "School of Athens" - the name does not quite correspond to the one depicted, because here, besides the Athenian philosophers, there are many who have never been to Athens. And besides, here are collected, as you understand, images of those thinkers of the past who lived at different times and physically could not meet each other.
Raphael creates a kind of ideal image of an ideal collection of ideal thinkers. A kind of ideal kingdom of philosophy, just as the artists of the late Quattrocento created the neoplatonic ideal Gardens of Eros - for example, Botticelli's "Spring" - the philosophical garden of philosophical eros. Likewise, Raphael has a kind of ideal City, where the most different directions of human thought coexist and perfectly coexist. In the old art criticism, attempts were sometimes made to isolate from this composition the personal philosophical preferences of Raphael, to find out what he gives priority to - the idealism of Plato, in the image of Leonardo da Vinci, pointing to heaven, or the powerful specifics of Aristotle, casting his hand down to the earth. Looking for whose side Raphael is on is completely in vain. Just like examining the Mona Lisa's smile psychologically. Raphael is busy with something else. Not a proof, but a demonstration of how diverse human thought is, what various majestic systems it can create, on what different heights spirit she can rise, what different spheres she can embrace. Because this fresco presents both the geometry of Euclid, and the mathematics of Pythagoras, and the Pythagorean doctrine of music, and the astronomical ideas of the ancients. Apparently, Raphael was advised by the humanists of the papal court, scientists who were in Rome at the beginning of the 16th century. there were quite a few.
Iconological research has shown that almost every figure, at least with a high degree of probability, symbolizes, if not an individual philosopher, then some property of human nature and human knowledge, some specific human dignity. Whether it is vigor or moderation. It is a perfect miracle that the central characters, which undoubtedly dominate the almost fifty-figure composition, the figures of Plato and Aristotle, do not seem to stand out from the rest, either in size or by the fact that they are placed in the foreground. And at the same time, they are absolutely immediately, without any hesitation, are sought and perceived by us both as an optical, and as a semantic, and as a spiritual center of the image.
In the composition of this fresco, a whole system of repeatedly repeating arched lines in a downward direction was created, which inevitably brings our gaze to this complementary gesture, meaning and state of a pair of soap-makers. The image of the majestic architecture is designed with such convincingness that it seems not so much fictitious as real-life, or rather written with real-life. Here there is a clear overlap with the architectural ideas of Bramante, with the architectural ideas of the High Renaissance. Even some seeming centricity of this majestic temple of philosophy is associated precisely with Brahman's ideas of the centric temple as the most perfect form of Renaissance architecture. Think of Bramante's colossal plan, the plan for the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral and his small centric temple, the only building that he actually managed to carry out.

In the background group, in the center of which Aristotle and Plato triumph, there is also Socrates, and, apparently, Alcibiades, to whom Socrates refers. This group is opposed by the groups of the foreground, and they are not symmetrical - the left group of scientists and their students has moved a little closer to the center than the right. Spatially they occupy a very different place... And at the same time, there is absolutely no feeling of imbalance between right and left. We do not notice at all that part of the fresco falls out, since the doorway begins, it visually does not bother us at all. And these unequal and at the same time ideally harmonious groups are balanced by the figure of the notorious Diogenes, the most famous philosopher cynical school, which spread diagonally on the steps of the stairs. This figure is, as it were, intermediate between the two groups of the foreground, and at the same time it leads our eye into the depths. She fills the void of the stairs. In addition, Diogenes is located so that we perceive it in movement from the inside out, from depth to the foreground, and in the opposite movement, also connecting the foreground and background, is given from the back the figure of a young man climbing the steps. So unobtrusively and at the same time, rhythmically, plastically-spatially, absolutely convincingly, he connects both groups and plans into a kind of single and completely indissoluble whole.

V. Klevayev. "Lectures on the history of art. High Renaissance. Raphael Santi "