"The 50 Paintings" Project 

Painting # 18

"School of Athens" by Rafael

This Fresco was painted by Raphael about 506 years back and you can still see it if you visit the "Raphael Rooms" in the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican .

At the same time Michaelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling a few blocks away :) Remember Painting # 9 ?

Leonardo Da Vinci , Michaelangelo and Raphael Sanzio were the Rennaisance masters each one of whom contributed to the paintings and frescoes in the Vatican.

These rooms in the Pope's palace

 are called the"Raphael Rooms"  

In this imaginary scene Raphael has pictured various philosophers, writers , artists, mathematicians to capture the spirit of the wonderful era of learning, knowledge that was the Renaissance!

Let's find out who all are here :)

Right in the center is Plato in Red (whom Raphael gave the likeness of Leonardo da Vinci) and his student Aristotle in blue

Seated on the left is Pythagoras, the mathematician 

On the Right is Euclid the one whose forte was geometry...and here he seems to be drawing a geometrical diagram for some curious students

Then there is the famous philosopher Heraclitus who seems to be engrossed in thought and writing something...Raphael made him look like Michaelangelo as a tribute to him.

Zoraster , the Persian Prophet is shown holding the celestial orb. (Whats the significance of a celestial orb ... I don't know)

  

And Raphael himself stands next to him .

He died nine years later when he was just 37 years old

but created great enough artwork to be remembered for next 500 years at least...:)

See you :)