Raphael Rooms_01
Pope Julius II built his private apartments above those of his greatly disliked predecessor, Alexander VI. Raphael and his pupils began the task in 1508. They replaced existing works by several better-known artists, including Raphael’s own teacher, Perugino. The rooms took 16 years and Raphael himself died before its completion. The frescoes illustrate the religious and philosophical ideals of the Renaissance. The Hall of Constantine began in 1517, 3 years before Raphael’s death. It was completed by Giulio Romano in 1525 under Pope Clement VII. The triumph of Christianity over paganism is the main theme of the decoration. The four major frescoes illustrate the life of Constantine, including his Vision of the Cross and his victory over his rival Maxentius at The Battle of the Milvian Bridge. The other two frescoes are The Baptism of Constantine and The Donation of Constantine. The Room of Helidorus was decorated between 1512 and 1514. It includes The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple. It shows a thief called Heliodorus felled by a horseman as he tries to make off with the reassure from the Temple of Jerusalem. Another famous fresco is that of The Liberation of St. Peter. It has remarkable lighting effects achieved through the illustration of the angels. Pope Julius’ face appears in the face of St. Peter. The Room of the Segnatura obtains its name from a special council which met in this room to sign official documents. The frescoes were completed between 1508 and 1511. They reflect the Humanist belief that there could be perfect harmony between Classical culture and Christianity. On one side is The Disputa, The Dispute over the Holy Sacrament which represents the triumph of religion and spiritual truth. On the opposite wall stands The School of Athens, my personal favorite, which is centered around the debate on the search for the truth between Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. The Room of the Fire in the Borgo was originally the dining room and was later converted into a music room. The main frescoes were finished by two of Raphael’s assistants between 1514 and 1517. The most famous is The Fire in the Borgo, which celebrates the miracle in 847 when Pope Leo IV extinguished a fire raging in the Borgo by making the sign of the cross. These rooms quickly established Raphael’s reputation as an artist in Rome, putting him on a par with Michelangelo.
Luisa Betancur, Survey of Art and Architecture, University of Florida
Raphael Rooms_02
The artist of the frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura is Rafaele Sanzio. He was commissioned to paint in about 1509 by Pope Julius II. The materials are paint and the walls of the Vatican Museum. The period in which the frescoes were painted is last medieval and renaissance, particularly High Renaissance. The particular Raphael room I chose was the Stanza della Segnatura. Here Raphael pieces together law, poetry, theology, and philosophy. Theology is represented by the Holy Sacrament. Poetry is represented by the painting of Mount Parnassus, where the god of poetry and songs, Apollo, is with his muses. Across from the poetry wall above a window law is represented by the three virtues of fortitude, temperance, and prudence. In the top most part Emperor Justinian is receiving the Pandects. On the right is Pope Gregory IX receiving the decretals. It is believed the Pope Julius the II can be seen in the face of Pope Gregory IX. My favorite fresco in the Stanza della Segnatura was the depiction of philosophy. Raphael named it The School of Athens. The representation is an assembly of all the greatest philosophical thinkers. It’s incredible how lifelike the philosophers look with their hand gestures and focused faces. In the center of this masterpiece one can see Plato and Aristotle. Plato is pointing towards the sky above, while Aristotle is gesturing towards the ground. One can even spot Michelangelo in the back left. Raphael paid this tribute to Michelangelo for his inspiration after seeing the Sistine Chapel and being so impressed. The Raphael rooms were commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint frescoes in the audience rooms of the Vatican Palace. No one knew he was proficient enough to produce such commanding frescoes. The function of the Stanza della Segnatura was to be a place where the Pope put his seal on all official documents and is rumored to have even been Julius’ own private library. Raphael worked with numerous assistants so some of the works finished by them did not come out so well. I assume Romans of the day were not allowing in these room because of all the official papal business taking place within their walls. The experience of the Stanza della Segnatura was unreal and like no other. The School of Athens took my breath away. The fresco is huge. Viewing it you can see every expression of the great thinkers deep into intellectual conversations with maps, globes, tablets, books, and you can even see some hastily scribbling ideas down. The definition of the muscles is outrageous. He has captured what people really look like. The meaning behind The School of Athens encompassed what philosophy is. I especially like how he represented law. Raphael was careful to cover all his bases by including church law as well as Roman law. As I viewed the Stanza della Segnatura I longed for a science representation. I wonder how Raphael would have depicted that. But thinking further I can understand why he did not, because the church and science have never really gotten along. Today tourists can gaze at the marvels of Raphael as part of a tour of the Vatican Museum.
Maggie Driscoll, Survey of Art and Architecture, St John’s University
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