I was recently studying on some renaissance masterpieces, and I found myself looking at Raphael’s “The School of Athens”. Usually, people focus on the philosophers in the center, and admiring how the painter captured their actions. However as an architecture student candidate, I couldn’t stop myself from looking at the building they are standing in.
Even though this is a painting, the architecture is incredible. Raphael used linear perspective so perfectly that it feels like you can actually walk into those massive vaulted halls. I think he chose this grand, Roman-style, ancient architecture to show that the ideas of these philosophers are as strong and timeless as the stone arches above them. In my opinion, the background of a painting is as important as the main focus of the piece. The background gives the whole painting power and meaning.
But here is my critique: While the scale is magnificent, the space almost feels too perfect and symmetrical. It is an “ideal” space, but is it a humane one? If I were to redesign this setting, I would add smaller, more intimate alcoves. Great ideas don’t just happen in giant halls; they also happen in quiet corners. This made me realize that paintings and architecture have something in common; they both are both trying to create a world and invite people into it.
