Gary Dyer

HUMA1301

Professor Lauer

8 April 2011

<strong>Michelangelo’s David</strong>

                Michelangelo was considered one of the greater artists of the Renaissance period with many works including painting, architecture and sculpture.   One of his more renowned works of art was his sculpture of the biblical figure David, constructed between the time of 1501 and 1504.  Unlike Donatello and Verrocchio’s sculptures of David where he appears standing after his biblical victory over Goliath, Michelangelo depicted him previous to the battle making him appear very tense.  At the young age of twenty seven, it took only two years for the Italian artist to complete the sculpture of David, which inevitably would lead to his future success. 

                The Statue of David can be considered very typical if not ideal for its time during the renaissance.  The renaissance represented a period of reformation following the middle ages, concentrating highly on humanism and experimentalism, which would create vast new techniques in art.  These new ideas would lead to an evolution in artistic expression of the natural world, and would set a standard for art of all genres in the west until the late nineteenth century (Fiero).  Michelangelo was very skilled in Contrapposto, which is essentially giving the appearance of an unequal distribution of weight, making the sculpture look much more alive (50 Sculptures You Should Know).  “In this era, all three forms of art are thought to be based on <em>disegno</em>, an artistic discipline built on knowledge of the male human form.  Sculpture is considered the finest art form because it mimics divine creation: The sculptural image is found within the block of stone much as the human soul is found within the physical body,” (PBS.org). 

                Standing almost seventeen feet high and carved from a large single block of marble, Michelangelo’s David is arguably the most innovative sculpture of the Renaissance era.  His mastery of contrappasto in this sculpture is obvious, making David’s physical form look extremely lifelike and also making him look tense before his battle which was viewed vastly impressive.  Donatello’s sculpture of David created sixty years earlier was now considered almost obsolete compared to Michelangelo’s masterpiece with David appearing much larger and more courageous than before. 

                As mentioned earlier, the Florentines would receive this work with much admiration and appreciation.  The state of Florence being incredibly inferior to their larger surrounding nations, Michelangelo’s David was perceived as a symbol of courage to the city.  “The Florentines wanted David among them, carved in stone and on the cathedral, to represent the struggle of the weak against the strong- for the Florentine Republic was surrounded by more powerful states that threatened its independence,” (50 Sculptures You Should Know).

                Michelangelo’s David is still today considered one of the most detailed, important and influential sculptures in history.  Art historians comment particularly on the detail of David’s mood shown in the sculpture.  In an essay written by J. Huston McCulloch, Dr. Pietro Antonio Bernabei of the Careggi hospital in Florence is quoted saying, “His right leg is tensed while the left one juts forward 'like that of a fencer, or even a boxer.' Tension is written all over his face. His eyes are wide open. His nostrils are flared. And the muscles between his eyebrows stand out, exactly as they would if they were tightened by concentration and aggression."  The only difference in the way this work was received at the time of creation and now is the level of importance and influence it had on the people of Florence.  As I mentioned earlier, the Florentines were considered much more inferior to their surrounding nations.  This sculpture then was viewed as much more than just a work of art at that time, it was a symbol of the strength and courage needed by these people just as it was needed by David to slay Goliath.

            Personally I think the sculpture of David has to be the most important work in sculpting in the history of the world.  The fact that at the young age of twenty-seven, with one large block of marble, Michelangelo was able to create a seventeen foot masterpiece of one of the most prominent and courageous figures in biblical history (Michelangelo’s Mountain).  I can only hope one day to see this work of Michelangelo in person to truly understand the skill required for such an accomplishment. 

            This work can be compared to Donatello’s David in a sense that both are sculptures of the same person, otherwise Michelangelo’s is far superior. By depicting David before his battle with Goliath as opposed to Donatello’s post battle image with the giant’s head at his feet.  Another difference is that Donatello used bronze instead of the marble used by Michelangelo.  Though Donatello’s David was an incredible accomplishment of self-admiring work, which was a popular renaissance theme, it lacked the detail of emotion and size in Michelangelo’s David (Hartt).

            This work is very important for future generations to know of for many reasons.  Take for instance the level of influence the Renaissance had on art and creativity.  The most innovative time in history for sculpture, painting, architecture, and theatre came during the renaissance, and definitely showed in Michelangelo’s work.  Along his other amazing works, David was a symbol of hope, strength and courage for many generations of people in Italy.  For this and many other reasons it is crucial that this work be preserved for future generations to observe and admire. 

Works Cited:

Scigliano, Eric.  <span style="text-decoration: underline">Michelangelo’s Mountain, The Quest for Perfection in the Marble Quarries of</span>                                      <span style="text-decoration: underline">Carrara.</span>  New York: Free Press, 2005.

Kuhl, Isabel, Klaus Reichold, Kristina Lowis, and Christiane Weidmann.  <span style="text-decoration: underline">50 Sculptures You</span>

            <span style="text-decoration: underline">Should Know About.</span>  New York: Prestal Publishing, 2009.

Hartt, Frederick.  <span style="text-decoration: underline">Michelangelo.</span>  New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.  2004

Fiero, K Gloria.  <span style="text-decoration: underline">The Humanistic Tradition, Sixth Edition.</span>   New York: Mcgraw-Hill. 2011.

McCulloch, J Huston.  “David: A New Perspective.” <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="http://www.econ.ohio-state.edu/jhm/">http://www.econ.ohio-state.edu/jhm/</a></span>

            <span style="text-decoration: underline">Arch/david/David.htm. </span> Ed. J. Huston McCulloch.  7 June 2007.