"The School of Athens"

["The School of Athens"]

I have mentioned in the previous blog that "The School of Athens" predominantly shows the well known ancient Greek philosophers.

Have you ever wondered why the pre-Christian 'Pagan' school of philosophy is allowed to be on the Signature Room wall of the Vatican? ... and not only that the tondo ceiling painting is also depicting the Pagan theme?

As I have said before in my blog, in order to be fair, we must see the mural from the point of view of the ones who had envisioned and commissioned to Raphael.
When we study about the Renaissance paintings, we must never forget that most of them were the commissioned paintings. The so called, artists, back then were more like the artisan/craftsman. They took the commissions to live. As a matter of fact, the commissions needed the final approval of the clients. At the same time, the nature of each commission is the so called, "made to order." The clients did 'order' what to paint. They even specified what sort of the color and the pigment they want the painters to use! There is an evidence of the copy of the original contract between a client and Ghirlandaio (one of the Master teachers of Michelangelo) where a client specifies what pigment to be used!

(..from the actual contract between Domenico Ghirlandaio and the Prior of the Spedele degli Innocenti)

"...and he must colour the panel at his own expense with good colours and with powdered gold on such ornaments as demand it,  with any other expense incurred on the same panel, and the blue must be ultramarine of the value about four florins the ounce..."

(citation: page 6, "Painting and Experience in Fifteenth Century Italy" by Michael Baxandall / Oxford University Press  1972)


If the painter fail to comply after signing the contract, he is subjected to the litigation. If the client is the Church, one can face the inquisition and the death penalty (burnt at the stake after being subjected to the torture)!!!!

So, it is obvious that the client, in this case, Pope Julius II, and Raphael's Papal advisers had approved the fresco, and the subsequent Popes as well. I say this because there is the case with Michelangelo where the later Pope (Pope Pius IV) had ordered the lesser known painter, Daniele da Volterra, to over paint the unacceptable portions of the original mural.
We have to keep in mind that during those eras, unless one has the extensive theological knowledge (as Fra Angelico, who was a painter and a revered Dominican monk) and the wit to convince or persuade the Papal court, a painter remained as a simple tool for the court to manifest their visions.

Then, why did the Pope commissioned Raphael to paint this fresco and the tondos above?
What is the relation/connection between the Vatican / Catholic Christianity and the ancient Greek (Pagan) philosophy/philosophers?

If this was the painting of or about Aristotle, it is easier to understand, for the philosophy of Aristotle was highly valued and incorporated into the theology of Catholic Christianity by Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the Dominican Angelic Doctor of the Church who is considered one of the most important Catholic Theologians.

We shall explore on this in the future.
Thank you!