Art has become an important tool to reflect every significant aspect of society including people’s ways of life, thinking and behavior. During the Renaissance man kind were seeking for answers concerning a variety of questions about life. It was the time when all the great mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers came together to study, discuss and analyze concepts with each other so that they could find answers to their many concerns about the world. This is an excellent example of how the people of the Renaissance shared their new ideas and knowledge with each other as a way to educate the public. Moreover, the ancient Greek and Roman architecture are clearly reflected on the background setting of the painting. This painting has mirrored several remarkable features of the Renaissance in which it was a time of discovery, knowledge and revelation.
In the school of Athens I could imagine myself being Plato because he is considered as most important character found in the painting. He can be seen standing in the middle of the painting surrounded by many people especially scholars. Plato was a mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens. This Academy was the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. He laid the foundations of natural philosophy, science and Western philosophy along with his mentor. He was an analytical and logical thinking man who wanted to discover more about the natural sciences of the Earth. Similarly, I am also an analytical and logical person who enjoys conducting experiments to find out about a subject or topic before drawing a conclusion about it.
