The Renaissance painter who created the fresco “The School of Athens” was Raphael. He painted it between 1509 and 1511 for Pope Julius II in the Apostolic Palace at Vatican City.
The fresco forms part of the rooms now known as the Stanze di Raffaello. Its imagined gathering of ancient philosophers places Plato and Aristotle at the center, symbolizing the Renaissance revival of classical learning. Other figures are commonly identified as Socrates, Pythagoras, Euclid, Archimedes, and Zoroaster.
The work is especially famous for its carefully constructed architectural perspective, which creates the impression of a grand classical hall. Raphael drew inspiration from contemporary artists, including Leonardo da Vinci; tradition also holds that Michelangelo appears as the brooding figure of Heraclitus. Raphael included a self-portrait as well, standing near Ptolemy.
A common mix-up is confusing the fresco with Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted in the same period. Both works are major Vatican commissions, but “The School of Athens” is Raphael’s masterpiece.