School of Athens (Raphael)

School of Athens, Raphael

How can art be a mirror of society?

Art can be a mirror of society as it reflects on what is happening to the environment or the painter himself during the time it is being painted. The paintings of the Renaissance provide proof to this. During the Renaissance, everything was big on finding out new facts, lost knowledge, and learning more. Architectural skills were greatly improved, scientists were making new discoveries, mathematicians improving on the ideas of the ancient Romans and Greeks, and lots more. Art was also making a lot of improvements.  During the Middle Ages, art was only done for religious images, telling biblical stories. The techniques were fairly poor compared the the Renaissance. The characters were expressionless, less important figures identical, there was no background, and it looked flat and unreal. But during the Renaissance, as new techniques like linear perspective were discovered, the paintings started to gain life. Characters came alive in the paintings, with expressions full of emotions, every character drawn carefully in detail, depth and true likeness began to take form as people took on humanist thoughts. Also, as the Church started to lose absolute power, brave artists started to make small steps into secular, pagan themes. Gods other than Christ and saints were painted, such as Venus. Society back then didn't refuse these new experiments of the artists - they welcomed it, praised it, and everyone started to paint new objects. But if these paintings were done in the Middle Ages, the artist would have been executed for heresy. This mirrors the society and public thoughts of the Renaissance as it shows the appreciation for new radical thoughts and rebirth of ideas.

My Place in the Renaissance

This fresco, by Raphael, is called the School of Athens. It was painted in 1510-1511, and it is in the Papal Palace,in the Vatican city. It is showing all the greatest thinkers of Ancient Greece all in one room, discussing, like a school. If I was to be a part of this gathering, I would probably be one of the students of Euclid, enthralled by the compass. This group of people are on the right side (looking from the viewer's perspective), between the practical thinkers, with Aristotle as their representative. I thought that I was one of these people because I am very easily fascinated by new things, and the compass back then was surely a new, radical instrument. They are eager students of Euclid, wanting to know and learn new things. Like these people, I am interested in new knowledge and am eager to learn them. Also, they are listening to what is said by Euclid, concentrating on every word. I also find myself more eager to listen and learn from those who know more than me. I prefer to listen to others first, then speak. This is why I thought I would be one of these students if I was to be in this painting.