mposition that fuses traditional Christian theology with Neoplatonic thought.Raphael's greatest work, "The School of Athens" (1508-11), was painted in the Vatican at the same time that Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel. In this large fresco Raphael brought together representatives of the Aristotelian and Platonic schools of thought. Instead of the densely packed, turbulent surface of Michelangelo's masterpiece, Raphael placed his groups of calmly conversing philosophers and artists in a vast court with vaults receding into the distance. Leonardo initially influenced Raphael, and he incorporated the pyramidal composition and beautifully modeled faces of "The Virgin of the Rocks" into many of his own paintings of the Madonna. He differed from Leonardo, however, in his prodigious output, his even temperament, and his preference for classical harmony and clarity.Slavery flourished during this time partly because of the many lives lost during the Black Death and due to the nature of the morality of the Renaissance times. Many laborers were needed on the sugar cane plantations and for domestic duties. The slaves were multi-cultural being black or white coming from conquered peoples from Africa, eastern Mediterranean and lands around the Black Sea. Slaves were a part of a bride's dowry, doctors took slaves in lieu of fees from his patients, and even priest had slaves in their service. Owners had complete dominion over the slaves due to Italian law. The treaty of Lodi between Venice and Milan ended the war and marked the beginning of a 40-year period of relative peace. During this time power was balanced among the five states that dominated the Italian peninsula--Venice, Milan, Naples, Florence, and the Papal states.The creator of High Renaissance architecture was Donato Bramante (1444-1514), who came to Rome in 1499, when he was 55. His first Roman masterpiece, the Tempietto (1502) at S. Pietro in Montorio, is a centraliz...
