Rome 2017: (16) The School of Athen's

http://mv.vatican.va/4_ES/pages/z-Patrons/MV_Patrons_04_01.html

The School of Athen’s represents the evolution of thought and theory with change over time. This painting is a cultural landscape that serves as a time capsule of religion, political and philosophical thought. The basis for human nature, the natural word, and the divine are encapsulated in this cultural landscape. It is fascinating to study this work and see that this region is a hearth of thought. Each character tells a story of the culture and the thought. Plato looking up towards the Heavens to gain inspiration from above; still believing that the Divine plays a role in granting him inspiration. Aristotle looking down with his hands out as a symbol that earthly experience is where he gains his enlightenment. The men in the corner are

wrestling with questions of the natural world including the globe, space, and the universe. These are the questions that humans still wrestle with today and it exposes viewers to the freedom and intellect that the Romans possessed to be able to value and understand the questions of existence. It is also interesting to note the heaves in the background as if they are proceeding whether or not the heavens will be in the background or if that space will be filled with future paintings of themselves. This is one of the most profound cultural landscapes found in Rome.