How the painting "The school of Athens" reflected the renaissance society

School of Athens by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (A.K.A. Raphael)

Originally named Causarum Cognitio  (Knowledge of Causes) Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino's School of Athens, was a masterpiece and like many paintings during the renaissance, was painted as a fresco. Fresco is a type of mural painting done on plaster that was coated on a wall and required a great amount of skill and speed because the plaster had to be relatively wet to paint on. It was created for Pope Julius II (1503-1513) and was painted between 1510 and 1511. The painting depicts many Greek and Roman philosophers and scientists. The theme of curiosity and learning is a prominent not only in the painting, but also in the renaissance society itself. During the renaissance, the society was curious, knowledge-thirsty and inquiring.The people of the renaissance spent a lot of time trying to understand the world around them, this was reflected in this painting. In the bottom left corner, a man is reading a book to a group of curious people who sit
crowding over the source of knowledge (the book) and trying to absorb the most of the wisdom the man holds in his hands. This element of the painting reflects the curiosity, thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm towards learning in the society at the time. The source of knowledge, the book, seems to be a greatly valued and respected item that is obviously filled with wisdom. The crowd of people seem to be all trying to catch a glimpse of the pictures while being fascinated with their new understanding of the world. The old man sitting to the left of the man holding the book has an expression of interest, showing his enthusiasm for the book and the knowledge it contains. This element of the painting represents the growing curiosity during the renaissance regarding not only knowledge and understanding, but also the curiosity to experiment with new techniques, ideas and methods. This was happening all over renaissance Italy as the society became more infatuated with understanding the world. They began to not only learn, but also to question things and find out about things themselves.This element of the painting shows that life back in the renaissance period was filled with new information and interesting theories.

Another element of the painting is the bottom right corner. It portrays a man using a mathematical tool to explain a theory or concept to a group of enthusiastic learners. This, once again, demonstrates the curiosity of society in the renaissance by showing the learners engaged actively and fascinated with the concept. Judging by their facial expressions and the position of their bodies, they all seem to have a greater understanding just like the greater understanding that society gained throughout the renaissance. Like the enthusiastic group of learners, the society of the renaissance was curious. This element of the painting once again reflects the curiosity, enthusiasm and attitude towards learning.  Raphael's School of Athens reflected the enthusiasm, curiosity, ambition and thirst for knowledge in renaissance society. It showed that the people of the renaissance were intelligent, very curious and obviously lived exciting lives that were filled with new understanding.

Driving forces of the Renaissance

Because trading and banking began to occur more often, not only was money supplied to the governments of the cities to invest in ornate and exxtravagent buildings, it also provided a link to the various different countries that served as inspirations for new ideas and changes to previous theories in areas such as science and medical study. Trading also encouraged the sailors to travel and explore new lands in search of new products to bring back as merchandise and banking encouraged new business skills to be acquired.