Interpreting History- "The School of Athens"

The School of Athens~Raphael

The School of Athens painted by Raphael show a mirror on the society and art at the same time. The painting reflects real human figures or a real life object. This painting is a primary source because Raphael himself painted it. The painting shows many important figures from history like Ptolemy, Alexander the Great, Pythagoras of Samos and Aristotle. Art can be a mirror to society because it will show what is really happening at that place and at that exact moment. Art is a mirror to society because when they draw the things people do they will draw them in the same manner as the people do it. Also when it shows a person it will show what the person is doing by using gestures and also show how the person is feeling like by using facial expressions and mood.

If I were part of the fresco "The School Of Athens". I would be Ptolemy. I would be Ptolemy because he was a great philosopher. In the fresco Ptolemy is located in the bottom right corner. In the fresco Ptolemy is holding a globe. Ptolemy is standing next to Zoroaster who appears to be holding a different type of globe. Ptolemy was born in Egypt in 90 AD. Ptolemy mainly studied astronomy but he also studied geography of the world. Ptolemy is best known for the Ptolemy Theory which he created which was that the Earth was the centre of the universe. But all along he was wrong but at that time the Catholic Church believed that theory for about 1400 years. I would expect to be like Ptolemy because like him I want to learn astronomy and understand more about the world. Like him I would like to know more about the universe and also at the same time I would like to help the world and the people understand more about the universe.