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The Reading Images Project |
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The Reading Images Project |
Iconography: function
The analysis of works of art through the study of the meanings of their images in the context of the culture in which they were made. There are three general approaches to determining iconography: 1) the function of a work and how its message is determined by its context; 2) the content or "subject" of a work, that is, what figures, forms and actions it depicts (including the narrative, if it has a narrative); 3) the symbolism of a work, both its direct use of cultural or individual symbols and the associations it might be intended to evoke within its culture.
The Function of the School of Athens
The function of a work of art depends on its location and commission. Works of art don't necessarily stand alone; indeed, they are often part of a larger complex or program of works that together present a complicated message. In the case of the School of Athens, the painting is part of an entire room decoration made for the private library of Pope Julius II, which consisted of some 325 books.(4) Renaissance libraries typically did not have built-in shelving; instead, there were freestanding book shelves within the spaces, and, for the richest patrons, it was not unusual for the walls to be entirely decorated.
The Stanza della Segnatura's program is dedicated to illustrating the four branches of knowledge into which many humanist book collections were divided: Theology, Philosophy, Poetry, and Jurisprudence.(5) The School of Athens specifically demonstrates Philosophy, that is (in the words of the inscription above the School, on the ceiling of the Stanza della Segnatura ), "knowledge of causes." Its message within the context of the pope's library is surely a humanist one: since the ancient world, like its Christian successor, was the creation of God, aspects of ancient thought can lead one to understand divine will. Given that the School is a pendant to the Disputa, which demonstrates the doctrine of the Trinity, one might go so far as to argue that reading the ancient philosophers, like studying Theology, will ultimately lead one to understand the fundamental truths of Christian belief.(3)
The program of the Segnatura is exceptionally learned; its complexity argues against Raphael (who had only a modest education) as its author. On the other hand, the diverse elements are so cogently integrated that Raphael, with his highly developed visual skills, was surely responsible for the composition.
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