Raphael's The School of Athens

What happened

For Pope Julius II, Raphael (1483–1520) frescoed The School of Athens in the Stanza della Segnatura of the Vatican Palace, completing it around 1511. It gathers nearly every great thinker of antiquity in a grand painted hall, with Plato pointing to the heavens and Aristotle gesturing to the earth at the composition's centre.

Why it matters

With its harmony, monumental figures, and masterful illusion of space, the fresco became the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the High Renaissance and secured Raphael's fame.

Sources

• World History Encyclopedia. Raphael · Reputable source