<p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-48d84c9d-4be3-73d5-8795-cbd823d6058f" style="text-align: center">Donatello’s David</p>
<p dir="ltr">Donatello’s bronze statue of David is estimated to have been created somewhere between the years 1430 &amp; 1440.  The exact date is still a common topic for debate as no one has been able to find solid evidence (Schneider).  It was among the first nudes in the art world used in a context other than religious (italianrenaissance.org).  While it is more common to find David depicted as a strong, large, muscular, giant of a man, Donatello’s depiction of a sleek, younger man was a distinct difference.  His stance of victory holds an almost homosexual feminism to it, something that was fairly common in works of the period.  It is uncertain who actually commissioned the work, but some have proposed the assumption that it may have been Cosimo il Vecchio de’ Medici (<a href="http://www.palazzo-medici.it">http://www.palazzo-medici.it</a>).  Donatello changed the world of art in ways he never could have imagined.  His technique, his skill, his creative bravery, and the greatness that is David are worthy of being preserved for centuries to come.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Jessie-Donatello.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3266" alt="Jessie Donatello" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Jessie-Donatello-185x300.jpg" width="185" height="300" />http://www.italianrenaissance.org/donatellos-david/</a><a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/jessie-donatello-3.jpg">          <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3272" alt="jessie donatello 3" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/jessie-donatello-3-231x300.jpg" width="231" height="300" />http://www.gunnzone.org/GunnImages/images/11_David_Donatello-L-R.jpg</a><!--more--></p>
<p dir="ltr">Despite having a considerable religious influence, the arts of the Renaissance era began to take on more lifelike appearances.  The Renaissance artists were steering away from the abstract qualities of the Classical period and began making their works more realistic.  Donatello’s David with its attention to the human form is a prime example of the changes that began to occur.  The artists of the Renaissance era such as Donatello, da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo brought change and influence that was felt and seen for centuries to come, even today.  (Fiero, B3.43)  Around this time literature, science, art were beginning to tie themselves to the church as people such as Pope Nicholas V.   Even members of the church were showing an enthusiasm for learning and the arts.  Many church officials commissioned Renaissance artists to renovate libraries, and to build churches, and to paint chapels (i.e. The Sisteen Chapel).</p>
<p dir="ltr">In the time leading up to the Renaissance era, art tended to have a significant amount of religious influence.  As the artists of the Renaissance era began to try to revive the Classical heritage, they began applying a more realistic approach to their work.  Portrait work soared in popularity as it focused on the individual.  Nude works were not widely known outside of the religious context as many artists tended to be rather self-concious.  Even then, in most cases, any nude subjects tended to be portrayed as Gods.  Throughout the Renaissance era, artists were falling away from the abstract works of the Medieval time period and began to create more tangible and realistic pieces.  As artists lost inhibitions and became more creative, they began to explore the human form more and created works such as Donatello’s David.  “in his bronze David (circa 1450), Donatello created the first sexually charged male nude since the collapse of the classical Greco-Roman Testhetic a thousand years earlier.”  (Frontain)</p>
<p dir="ltr">Donatello’s David was a nude statue.  While not the only one of the time period, it was among the first.  The appearance of nudes in the art world was mostly found in the religious context.  Donatello was neither the first nor the last sculptor to produce their interpretation of David.  However, while the majority of the David statues depicted him as a larger-than-life man of great strength, Donatello showed him as a young and sinewy boy with an almost homosexual feminism to him.  Also, many artists/sculptors utilized marble, but Donatello chose to utilize bronze for this particular piece. Interestingly enough, this particular piece was his second attempt.  His first version of David was done in marble somewhere around 1408/1409.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This statue was received very well.  It became very popular and was considered to be the symbol of Florence.  The Medici family kept it on display in their court yard causing quite the scandal.  Regardless, once explained away by Donatello, the statue was received with great enthusiasm.  Due to the chosen placement of the sculpture (in the courtyard) some did not take to it very well.  However, many artists and scholars of the time made claims that it very well could have been one of Donatello’s finest works created within his lifetime.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The reception of Donatello’s bronze David today seems to be comparable to when it made its debut.  The beauty, creativity, and originality of Donatello’s work has never been argued.  The beauty of the nude form quite obviously influenced by Donatello’s own homosexuality seems to be the focus of many of today’s critics and historians.  Today there seems to much debate regarding the original appearance of the statue.  For example, many think the original statue – before the influences of time – had golden luscious curls that any women would envy.  (www.ancientworlds.net)  There is much debate amongst scholars as to the exact time, original appearance, whether or not Donatello used a live nude model, and a whole host of other details that seem to have been lost over the course of the passing centuries.  One important thing that has been agreed upon is that Donatello’s David is/was one of the most influential works of its time and that Donatello was one of the cornerstones of the beginning of the modern art community.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I have always been exposed to the larger, more masculine versions of the David statues.  I’ve always made the assumption they were all that had existed.  My first impression of Donatello’s work was that it was very feminine, seemed to be homosexually motivated, and couldn’t possibly be the correct statue.  After discovering that, in fact, it was I simply stared at it.  Given the time period, I was rather shocked that a statue of this type gained such popularity.  I thought it was very well done.  Again, given the time period, I was very impressed that a statue of this caliber could be created out of any medium especially one such as bronze.  In regards to its symbolism, it has been hard for me to truly understand it as my prior knowledge of this particular era is not very extensive.  For me personally, it was more the bravery and creativity that came from Donatello’s bronze David.  Knowing now of the political controversy started by its creation, I am able to appreciate it far more.  After looking at it for the first time, I was a bit taken aback.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Michelangelo and Donatello were both commissioned to create sculptures of David.  David was a great symbol for the people of Florence.  He stood-to them-for their freedom and liberty.  Both of which were under constant threat.  One important difference, in terms of history, was that Michelango’s piece was commissioned by The Board of Works for the Cathedral of Florence while Donatello’s piece was commissioned be the Medici family.  A family that was considered to have been one of the biggest threats toward the very freedoms and liberties David was supposed to have represented.  While David’s work is very well known, Michelango’s David is the one most thought of when “the sculpture of David” is mentioned.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Artistically speaking, they both used different mediums to create their individual works.  Donatello actually created two pieces depicting David.  One was done in marble while the other, the one he is most recognized for, was created from bronze.  Michelango kept with the classic/typical depiction of David showing him, while young, to be a man of strength and masculine victory.  Donatello, on the other hand, showed David as a sinewy young man.  While his stance with his foot on top of the severed head of Goliath was one of victory, he still showed more of a feminine quality almost homosexual.  This was a quality seen in many works of that time.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Donatello’s bronze David is not one of the most well-known of the many depictions of David.  Future generations need to know.  If asked, a number of high school students would most likely be unable to tell you any other David than that done by Michelangelo.  It is important that this generation and those to come be taught.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Donatello created a great work of symbolism.  On a daily basis, the very family that commissioned him to create this great piece threatened the freedoms and liberties of the citizens of Florence-the freedoms and liberties that David represented.  Some artists of his time went so far as to label this work as Donatello’s finest of his lifetime.  Donatello was one of the great artistic masters.  His work has influenced other artists and their own works over the course of centuries.  To look at it simply, it was formed from bronze-a task not easily accomplished almost 600 years ago.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Donatello’s David was a great example of Humanist art.  This is shown not only in the choice of medium but also in the pose and nudity of the subject.  What better way to learn of the great artists of this time than through the study of the work itself.  Reproductions can never adequately represent the artist or his work.  It is important for individuals to be able to see and study this work firsthand.  To see the stunning accuracy of David’s anatomical features.  To understand and feel the symbolism of his foot on the head of the slain giant.  And after having gained this understanding, to hopefully appreciate the irony of that symbolism when considering those who commissioned this work.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At some point in history, it was decided this was a work of such great importance that it needed to be guarded and protected and preserved for generations to come.  Donatello’s bronze masterpiece needs to be saved.  That importance once found has not changed in the last 600 years nor will it change in the next 600.</p>
<p dir="ltr">David did and still does represent the coveted freedoms and liberties of a seemingly repressed  people.  However, of equal importance, is that in a time when homosexuality wasn’t as publicized as it is in today’s society and sodomy was deemed illegal, the homosexual air of this nude young man seemed to go unnoticed.  In fact, it was the wish of those who commissioned the work that David be portrayed in such a way.   It was common knowledge that Donatello was a gay man.  This was a huge step into the future not only for art but also for human sexuality.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Artists such as Donatello were innovators in their time and started a movement that has carried forth into our world today.  While many may fail to see the significance of a work like David, I feel that it is important to show how artists and other individuals like Donatello shaped what we know today.  An important part of making sure that can happen is to do whatever is possible to insure the works of the greats are preserved.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Janson, H W. The Sculpture of David. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1979. Acadenic</p>
<p dir="ltr">    Search Complete. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Frontain, Raymond-Jean. Gay &amp; Lesbian Review Worldwide 13.4: 12-15. Academic Search</p>
<p dir="ltr">Complete.  Web. 26 Aug. 2013.</p>
<p dir="ltr">**Frontain allowed for more of a focus on the homosexual nature of the statue.  It also addressed the fact that it was one of the first sexually charged male nudes.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">""David" by Donatello." Mediateca di Palazzo Medici Riccardi Window on the Renaissance.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mediateca di Palazzo, n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2013. &lt;<a href="http://www.palazzo-medici.it/mediateca/en/schede.php?nome=David_di_Donatello">http://www.palazzo-medici.it/mediateca/en/schede.php?nome=David_di_Donatello</a>&gt;.</p>
<p dir="ltr">**This source proved helpful as it came from an Italian source.  It gave a great perspective as to the controversy surround the placement of the statue and the family that commissioned the work.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Schneider, Laurie. "Donatello's Bronze David." The Art Bulletin June 1973: 213-16. Web. 26</p>
<p dir="ltr">    Aug. 2013.  &lt; <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/3049095">http://www.jstor.org/stable/3049095</a>&gt;.</p>
<p dir="ltr">    **Schneider gave a more technical approach to analysis.  However, it was an easy read and satisfied one of the academic credit.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Macrohistory and World Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Sept. 2013.</p>
<p dir="ltr">    &lt;<a href="http://www.macrohistory.com/time/ce15.htm">http://www.macrohistory.com/time/ce15.htm</a>&gt;.</p>
<p dir="ltr">    **This timeline allowed me to better understand the historical context of the time.  It laid out world history, not only that in Florence, of the time and created a better understanding of the “controversy”, etc.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. 6th Editionth ed. Vol. 2. N.p.: McGraw-Hill, 2011.</p>
<p dir="ltr">N. pag. 2 vols. Web. 26 Aug. 2013. &lt;http://connect.mcgraw- hill.com/connect/hmEBook.do?setTab=sectionTabs&gt;.</p>
<p dir="ltr">**The textbook has proven to be quite helpful.  It holds information not only on the work itself but also other works and artists of the time.  It also gave insight into the historical timeline.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">***<a href="http://www.italianrenaissance.org/donatellos-david/">http://www.italianrenaissance.org/donatellos-david/</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">**This site analyzes pose, biblical influence, David’s background, etc all from an artistic standpoint as well as the influence of the Italian renaissance.</p>