Who painted the fresco 'The School of Athens'?

Raphael painted the fresco The School of Athens. He created it between 1509 and 1511 for the rooms of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, as part of a major commission from Pope Julius II. The fresco appears in the room now known as the Stanza della Segnatura, alongside other works representing major areas of intellectual and spiritual life.

At the center, Plato and Aristotle discuss philosophy while surrounded by ancient mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists. Plato is often said to resemble Leonardo da Vinci, and a figure identified as Heraclitus is commonly associated with Michelangelo, but these identifications are interpretations rather than labels supplied by Raphael. Raphael is traditionally recognized in a self-portrait near the edge of the composition.

The work is celebrated for its carefully constructed perspective, monumental architecture, and evocation of classical learning. Despite its familiar title, the fresco is more broadly a vision of philosophy than a literal portrait of a historical meeting in Athens. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were influential contemporaries, but neither painted the fresco.