Question about UYI Artwork

[sic.]

Its an interesting question you present. Not only 'Why that paininting?"? but also "Why pick that person?"

Why not the guy in his toga sitting on the stairs? thats just as interesting.

The question why Kostabi picked those precise figures is indeed interesting. Most of the people featured in School of Athens have been recognized as various philosophers, yet these two feature in the Kostabi painting remain, infact, unknowns. The person you're referring to on the stairs is Diogenes, "lying carefree on the steps before them to show his philosophical attitude: he despised all material wealth and the lifestyle associated with it". If you look at the Kostabi pair in the original painting, what do you see? Most people next to them are attending to the debate of Plato and Aristotle. To keep it simple, Plato is pointing upwards, while Aristotle is gesturing downward; this is to portray their philosophical differences. Plato would believe in the Forms, while Aristotle put more weigth on empirical knowledge.

The Kostabi pair has one person making notes, similar to several other people in the painting. His hair appears to be swirling, yet there's no wind to be seen. One could see him caught mid-motion, setting his gaze down to the notebook in a hurry. So it's quite possible he's observing the ongoing debate. The person next to him appears not to give the event much thought, and seems rather disassociated of his environment. He's leaning on the railing, appearing to have a some sort of a leisurely position. Hence, if you consider these two figures as a pair, you might end up with the idea that the younger one is busy scribbling some thoughts down for future perusal, while the older, more seasoned one is considering him somewhat cynically; as in "use your illusions, but I doubt they'll do you much good in the long run."

That's really just my interpretation of the Kostabi painting, which I believe should be looked at in joint with School of Athens, as it is a partial reproduction.

Here's a Wikipedia entry for School of Athens; here's a character breakdown.

[Skunk]

Just my thoughts, but I thought the phrase "Use Your Illusion" was largely in reference to the position of the scribbling character. It's almost as if he's resting on an imaginary chair, and that feeling is more pronounced than it is in School of Athens. His position, look at how his legs are, just seems very unnatural - and a very unlikely way for someone to choose to write. He almost looks off-balance.

On top of that, as far as choosing these two figures out of all the others, there are a lot of reasons i can see. Not only are they two figures that aren't clearly defined as any particular famous philosopher, but their positionings also provide a good contrast for eachother - contrast what i said above with the other figure slouching easily and disinterested. It's easy to see them as together in School of Athens, but it's also obvious they are each preoccupied in their own selves and thoughts (one actively and one passively). When you focus on them you can also see that they stand out by being almost uniquely dull. There's a lot going on in School of Athens, but the focus is still in the center, on Plato and Aristotle. When you pull out though, if you look for a spot that is almost a negative of that focus, then it's our characters in question. They're almost monochromatic, and their shades are quite similar.