Final answer:
The School of Athens by Raphael includes major Renaissance figures such as Raphael himself, Leonardo da Vinci depicted as Plato, and Michelangelo as Heraclitus, alongside historic philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates. Option C is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The School of Athens is a renowned fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael. The correct answer to the question regarding which major painters, sculptors, and architects were included in The School of Athens painting is Option C: Raphael, Michelangelo, Aristotle, Socrates. While Aristotle and Socrates are not painters, sculptors, or architects but philosophers, their inclusion signifies the representation of philosophical knowledge in the painting. Raphael included the likeness of contemporaries such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in the painting, alongside other historic figures.
Raphael himself is believed to be depicted as the character of Apelles, standing in the right-hand portion of the painting. Leonardo da Vinci is often identified as the figure of Plato, while Michelangelo is depicted as Heraclitus, an image added after Raphael saw the Sistine Chapel. The School of Athens brilliantly encompasses a gathering of the greatest mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists, both from classical antiquity and from Raphael's own time, under the illustrious coffered ceiling of the painted hall.