Artists paint what they see, not what they think is true or what they think they remember. Raphael's
The School of Athens shows that art can be a mirror of society in a few ways. Society during the Renaissance was changing, people
weren' t just accepting what the Church told them, they were conducting
experiment's to find answers. Raphael painted people such as Ptolemy and Euclid conducting a math experiment using a compass, teaching people around them. Raphael also Aristotle and Plato, two famous
philosophers in the middle of the painting, showing their significance. Other famous people painted
Aristippus,
Theophrastus of
Lesbos,
Arcesilaus, Epicurus and Pythagoras. Another way
The School of Athens mirrors society is in the architecture. Raphael didn't choose to paint the old architecture, he painted the new, Roman style. He included rounded arches, columns, and statues for decoration. Another way it reflects society what people were doing, and how they were interacting with each other. People were conducting experiments together, and having discussions about different theories and why they got the results they got. People were taking action for what they knew, and what they wanted to know. Raphael chose well, creating a great reflection of the society during the time.
If I could chose to be whoever I wanted to be from Raphael's painting The School of Athens, I would chose to be the woman in the crowd, in the bottom right corner. I would chose to be her, because before, women weren't expected to learn. They were expected to stay at home, keep house, and raise the family. But this person is getting the chance to learn new information, and have new experiences. I like learning new information, so I believe she would be a good person to be.
