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In Reply to: "The School Of Athens" posted by Shane Courtland on January 31, 1999 at 16:50:13:

: I have a little question about Raphael's painting "The School of Athens." (Fiero 61) Why does Raphael Portray Plato as Leonardo da Vinci?

: This painting is great beacuse it carries a hidden symbolic meaning. It symbolizes the philiosopic doctorines of Platonists and Aristotelians. Fiero writes:

: "At the center of the composition appear, as if in a scholarly debate, the two giants of classical philosophy: Plato, who points heavenward to indicate his view of reality as fixed in universal Forms, and Aristotle, who points to the earth to indicate that universal truth depends on the study of nature. . .On either side of the great hall appear historical figures belonging to each of the two philosophic "camps": the Platonists (left) and the Aristotelians (right)." (Fiero 62)

: In other words, the painting is split up into followers of of each philosophic doctorine.

: At first I thought that Raphael just randomly put faces of his contemporaies in the painting (like Leonardo as Plato), but I found evidennce to the contrary. Raphael put Michelangelo on the Platonic side of the painting, becuase Michelangelo is a Platonist. Fiero writes:

: "Michelangelo shared the neoplatonic belief that the soul, imprisoned in the body, yearned to return to its sacred origins." (Fireo 69)

: He was on the Platonic side because he was a Platonist!

: This does not stand true with Leonardo! He is more of an Aristotelian than a Platonist.He belives in the study of nature through the senses. Fiero writes:

: "... his insistance on direct experience and experimentation made him the harbinger of the Scientific Revolution....Leonardo defends the superiority of sensory experience over 'book learninng' and argues that painting surpases poetry as a form of human expression." (Fiero 58)

: This is an Aristotelian and not a Plationic doctrine. Plato, in "The Republic," claims that there are different levels of reality and that senses are on the bottom rung (ala. "the alegory of the cave") Senses, according to Plato, are not to be trusted! Aristotle, on the other hand, is a natural scientist and praises the use of the senses!----Why isn't Leonardo protrayed as Aristotle? Leonardo seems closer to his thinking than Plato's, yet Raphael chooses Leonardo to epitomize Platonic thought.-------WHY?

Here is a good link on Leonardo

Follow Ups:

• Re: "The School Of Athens" UPDATE2 shane courtland 19:00:39 2/06/99 (3)
  • "The School Of Athens" UPDATE3 Shane Courtland 19:04:52 2/06/99 (2)
    • Re: "The School Of Athens" UPDATE4 Shane courtland 19:07:32 2/06/99 (1)
      • UPDATE 5, I'm trying to get the pictures Shane Courtland 19:14:26 2/06/99 (0)

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: <center><img src="shaft"></center> : : I have a little question about Raphael's painting "The School of Athens." (Fiero 61) Why does Raphael Portray Plato as Leonardo da Vinci?<img src="leobild.jpg"> : : This painting is great beacuse it carries a hidden symbolic meaning. It symbolizes the philiosopic doctorines of Platonists and Aristotelians. Fiero writes: : : "At the center of the composition appear, as if in a scholarly debate, the two giants of classical philosophy: Plato, who points heavenward to indicate his view of reality as fixed in universal Forms, and Aristotle, who points to the earth to indicate that universal truth depends on the study of nature. . .On either side of the great hall appear historical figures belonging to each of the two philosophic "camps": the Platonists (left) and the Aristotelians (right)." (Fiero 62) : : In other words, the painting is split up into followers of of each philosophic doctorine. : : At first I thought that Raphael just randomly put faces of his contemporaies in the painting (like Leonardo as Plato), but I found evidennce to the contrary. Raphael put Michelangelo on the Platonic side of the painting, becuase Michelangelo is a Platonist. Fiero writes: : : "Michelangelo shared the neoplatonic belief that the soul, imprisoned in the body, yearned to return to its sacred origins." (Fireo 69) : : He was on the Platonic side because he was a Platonist! : : This does not stand true with Leonardo! He is more of an Aristotelian than a Platonist.He belives in the study of nature through the senses. Fiero writes: : : "... his insistance on direct experience and experimentation made him the harbinger of the Scientific Revolution....Leonardo defends the superiority of sensory experience over 'book learninng' and argues that painting surpases poetry as a form of human expression." (Fiero 58) : : This is an Aristotelian and not a Plationic doctrine. Plato, in "The Republic," claims that there are different levels of reality and that senses are on the bottom rung (ala. "the alegory of the cave") Senses, according to Plato, are not to be trusted! Aristotle, on the other hand, is a natural scientist and praises the use of the senses!----Why isn't Leonardo protrayed as Aristotle? Leonardo seems closer to his thinking than Plato's, yet Raphael chooses Leonardo to epitomize Platonic thought.-------WHY? : Here is a good link on <a href="http://kultur-online.com/greatest/fr-leonardo.htm">Leonardo</a>

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