Renaissance Humanism In The Renaissance During The Renaissance

During the Renaissance, people were dedicated to studying human works. They would observe from real life to gain inspiration, new ideas, and to try to recreate the world as they saw it in their art. New techniques such as scientific and atmospheric perspective were created, changing art forever. Artists would use their skills to create works for patrons, from the Church, various guilds, and other religious orders. During the High Renaissance, Julius II commissioned Raphael to decorate the Vatican Palace. The first of the rooms he decorated was The “Room of the Signature”, where he painted The School of Athens. Originally, this room housed Julius II’s personal library, but later on it would be the room where papal documents were signed. In 1508, Raphael began painting four frescoes that represented theology, philosophy, law, and the arts. As stated in Janson’s History of Art Volume II, This fresco “represents a summation of High Renaissance humanism, for it attempts to represent the unity of knowledge in one grand scheme.” Raphael’s The School of Athens is a prime example of humanistic art, as evidenced by the subject of the art itself, the classical elements in the piece, and it’s scientific and illusionistic rendering.

The subject of The School of Athens is humanistic in and of itself. The Textbook Defines humanism in the glossary as “A philosophy emphasizing the worth of the individual, the rational abilities of humankind, and the human potential for good. During the Italian Renaissance, humanism was part of a movement that encouraged study of the classical cultures of Greece and Rome.” In this fresco, Raphael represents the worth and achievements of individuals, as well as the greatness of classical culture. The School of Athen...

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...hows atmospheric perspective, with the sky as well as the farthest archway becoming lighter and hazier as they recede into the background. In addition, the figures themselves are all very convincing. They are realistically placed seated on the stairs, leaning, kneeling, or standing with convincing weight on the ground, making all of figures appear grounded.

In Conclusion, this piece embodies humanism because the subject of the fresco is a gathering of humanist thinkers, there are many classical elements in the piece, and it uses techniques such as scientific and illusionistic rendering. The use of classical figures, as well as disguising artists of the time to celebrate their status as members of an educated society, definitely makes this a humanistic piece. It is one of the most famous pieces of the High Renaissance, and is considered to be Raphael’s masterpiece.