School of Athens: Its Meaning Revealed

 By: Luis Leon

Most people who have heard of the Vatican know that it holds Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel, depicting the biblical figure, Adam, lying down and reaching to touch the finger of God. The Sistine Chapel, however, is just one exhibit held in the giant array of art within the Vatican Museums. It is open to the public, but with no planned tour guide it would take a very long time to get in and difficult to navigate on your own. 

Creator: joeblack564 | Credit: Image by joeblack564 Pixabay

Crowds swarmed like cattle. From one end of a wall to the next, people took up any breathing space. There was no stopping, as we continuously waddled like penguins, shoulder to shoulder. Our tour guide and dozens of groups around us got a breakdown of the art pieces spoken through headpieces as one pushed ahead of the other. All this commotion organized and endured just to admire the iconic and beautiful pieces the Vatican Museums held. 

The products of the Vatican have exposed themselves to me at an age before I could even conceptualize their significance. In almost every History class, I have seen that famous painting, “School of Athens” printed on some textbook when talking about Greek philosophy. While the picture is used everywhere, the Vatican Museum holds the original.   

Seeing it in person for the first time was like seeing a family member you’ve only ever heard about but never met. Within the Raphael Rooms exhibit, it was displayed on the same wall it was painted on half a millennium ago. It had the dry, detailed style Raphael became famous for using. His work stood out by using muted colors and grainy textures. His personality differed  from his art peers as he was much younger than them. He would poke fun at them and represent this voice through his work.

In all my years of observing the painting, I never realized that Raphael  inserted himself  among the scholars. Within the crowd, he looked directly at the observer. This is the equivalent to “breaking the fourth wall” where an actor looks at the camera. This showed his humor, stating how he was an intellectual like the great thinkers. Meanwhile he painted his peer, Michelangelo, alone sitting by himself. This represented Raphael's sentiment towards him. He was much older, serious, and often isolated himself.

I also had my bigger question answered. What was a piece that represented secular thought and philosophy doing in a place of worship? Parallel to this wall was another mural. It was an extension of the staircase the scholars were walking on showing angels and other biblical figures. The scholars, possibly representing humanity, were walking toward theology to accept it as the truth of life. The entire room told a story, as the Vatican Museum did as a whole. The entirety of the tour was an experience that showed off the products of history and stories hundreds of years old.