School Of Athens Essay

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The artwork chosen is a famous Fresco piece titled, “The School of Athens”. Italian Renaissance artist, Raphael, created this masterful work of art from the year 1509-1511. This work of art allows the reader to visualize and examine a deeper understanding into the principles of perception as they are utilized to bring a two-dimensional work of art from a flat surface such as a painting to become an illusion of reality for the viewer. The three principles to be discussed in relation to the painting include the following: Linear Perspective, Principles of Interposition, and Relative Height and Size (should these be capitalized?). Have you ever been driving down a long empty road lined by power lines and wondered why they seem smaller and smaller in the distance? The power lines are not actually …show more content…

Interposition in relation to linear perspective can also create the illusion of depth perception by making an object seem further away. The difference between the two principles is that the principle of interposition utilizes the art of stacking one object on to another or partly in front of another object to give the illusion of depth and dimension. In relation to Raphael’s “School of Athens” painting, this can be visualized by looking at the work of art as a stage in a theatre. As the viewer notices the very first golden arch way over the edge of the stage with no one underneath it as the first archway introduced in the painting, then the very next stone arch way in the ceiling of the school is not fully visible as it is hidden partially behind the first golden archway. This is a prime example of how Raphael utilized the tool of interposition when creating his painting. The positioning of the philosophers in the school is also an example of interposition being used by Raphael to create the illusion of depth on a two dimensional piece of

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