"The School of Athens"

“The School of Athens” was painted in fresco by Raphael in 1511. This high renaissance art was done on the walls of the Stanza Della Segnatura, which used to be an apartment for the pope at that time.  The room is now part of the Vatican museum. In this picture there is a lot going on. I like this because a busy pictures makes me wonder what the artist was trying to portray.. Raphael included in his “school” the three great philosophers. Plato ( in the center left in a red shawl), Aristotle (center right in a blue shawl and Socrates off to the left in the green robe teaching. Raphael also included himself way off in the right corner. He is the only person looking right at the viewer.  Later Raphael added the likeness of Michelangelo as “Heraclitus, the “weeping philosopher.” Aptly named because of his lonely life and his contempt for humankind”( http://www.eurotravelogue.com/2012/01/artsmart-roundtable-raphaels-school.html). Raphael added Michelangelo to his fresco after seeing this artists work in the Sistine chapel.