Visual Analysis & Synthesis . January 2010
What can we learn 500 years on from Raphael’s “School of Athens?”
Introduction
Seen as a highlight of the high renaissance period, Raphael’s universally renowned “School of Athens” (“Scuola di Atene”) can be discovered in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Rome. Produced over 1510 to 1511, this monumental piece of work has had art scholars and critics fascinated for years and years due to many of its features, both obvious and subtle. In art and design across all the varied disciplines creative’s use methods, theories and techniques to perfect and aid their work to gain the best possible results; using shapes such as the triangle, square, circle and pentagon (to name a few) we can begin to break down a composition and focus on the elements of design that help achieve good design.
Elements of Design
Raphael as an artist who is know for his quality of work, not only in terms of style but the deeper, more concise and delicate issues that concern design. His use of structure, geometrics in his compositions are second to none, and the control of movement in both his brush strokes and compositional arrangement enhance the aesthetic pleasure gained from this a masterpiece.
For Raphael to produce any of his works (in particular this one) he would have had to critically evaluate,
understand and implement his knowledge of the principles and elements of design. Therefore a combination of different inter‐related structural elements would have been brought in for this design process. Knowledge and understanding of pattern, shape, line, point and structure are principles and rules he will have stood by and implemented from studying design and geometry from other Italian artists as well as from Greek philosophers and thinkers. It can be considered that these elements are the guidelines or basic principles in setting the composition as well as the more dominant and obvious elements such as balance, rhythm, emphasis and proportion. It is very important that not up until the Renaissance, the idea of perspective in a three dimensional form in art had been achievable or considered. Boundaries were being broken by the likes of Raphael and Michelangelo during this period as the concept of depth and space in painting was reinvented through the use of the principles of line, point, shape, structure, and balance through proportion and perspective.
The role of figures and their compositional relevance.
A key element of this painting is the use of symmetry and pattern in which the regular repetition along the centre line from the vanishing point in the centre of the page brings in and focuses our concentration on the two key figures of this painting: Plato and Aristotle.
As well as the reflective symmetry across the structure in the background of the image combines to adhere to the previously mentioned principles
and elements in structural composition. The regular repetition across the tessellating patterns and Roman like square patterns across the main arch in the foreground link in beautifully with the symbolic golden trees sprouting new leaves, perhaps symbolic
to growth and knowledge which keeps growing between these scholars, in particular Plato, and his young student Aristotle. The scholarship shown between these to, is significant and represented through the compositional framing of the pair. As the image shows Plato, old and wise less dominant whereas Aristotle is more forthcoming and commanding with a strong hand and slightly more aggressive stance square on across the plane on the painting. It is also significant to not the direction of both scholars hands Aristotle is pointing earthward and as if his mentor Plato is pointing up towards the heavens implying that they are captured here in mid discussion about religion and perhaps the afterlife.
Structural Aspects: The Golden Section
The golden section be found and seen in lots of places; both in nature and art. It has been the guideline in art and architecture since
the Vitruvian Man . A world‐renowned drawing, Da Vinci around the year 1487.An efficient structure and form across nature at 1.618:1 the golden section is almost used without recognition, in the subconscious that so many buildings and designs are based upon it, without even planning to be based upon the structure.
The Golden Ratio describes how “a” is to “b” as “a+b” is to “a” so therefore “a” is equal to 1. So “a” + “b” is approximately 1.61803399. Know among the Greeks as the “Golden Section”
the Italian Renaissance artists referred to it as the “divine proportion” as well as the “golden mean.” Used during the renaissance as the idea of a linear perspective began to evolve, the golden section was also used in constructions of Egyptian buildings and Greek architecture.
Work of Da Vinci is conclusive evidence of the use of this rule of proportions. We can see here in Raphael’s School of Athens, the use of the Golden Section and the way it has aided the artists set up of the frame. The composition forms and shapes, marks out the structure across the plane as the curves and triangular formations correlate and combine to adhere to the geometric rules that apply to the golden section. The angles, curves and complexion of this masterpiece are delicately balanced creating this incredible linear perspective which the renaissance discovered and awed the world with. From the curved arches and triangular wall patterns the golden section plays a role in this work dating from the middle of this past millennium, to now in the likes of work from M.C Esher we can see the link between geometry and composition in design over 500 years; paying tribute to the special construction that the golden section holds.
References : Online :www.limblengthening.dk/images/David.jpg&imgrefurl
http://davidasear.googlepages.com/Sear_GoldenSection.jpg/Sear_GoldenSectionfull.
jpg&imgrefurl
Supportive Scholars and Texts:
Professor Haan & Dr. Thomas (Lecture Hand Outs)
Dunlap
Elam
Lawlor
DK Publishing “Perspective”