Art History Paper David Sculpture

Essay 1

Created in the early renaissance Donatello’s sculpture of David was made of bronze and reached 158 cm. David is naked in the sculpture, other than his hat and boots. He has an uncertain smirk on his face. This statue was depicting David after defeating Goliath, he carries his sword and has his foot on Goliath’s head. This piece had been suggested to be an example of homo-eroticism. But this piece also suggests to the peasant child the bible depicts in the original David and Goliath. Donatello’s David shows David’s features to be more realistic with a more pudgy stomach and less firm behind, it was said to have been considered to life like and this was controversial at the time. This was the first unsupported standing work of bronze during the renaissance. He is standing in a contrapposto stance which was revived from the Classical Antiquity.

Michelangelo’s David was a High Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504 out of marble. The statue was placed in a public square outside of The Plazzo Della Signora instead of it’s original commissioned location of the roofline of the Florence Cathedral. The statue come to represent the defense of the Florentine Republic. The eyes of David are said to be turned to face Rome in a warning glare, Michelangelo depicted to moment of David just before the contest between David and Goliath. His version is much more masculine version of David in comparison to Donatello’s.

Berini’s David was a life size sculpture also made of marble sculpted between 1623 and 1624 sculpted during the Baroque period, when artists were fascinated by movement and action. Berini shows David as he fights with Goliath, which captures the motion of David as he throws the stone at Goliath. David is not nude in this sculpture. Baroque artists strove for anatomically correct figures so Berini’s David is created more in proportion than that of Michelangelo’s David was. Berini chose to show a story in his David, his armor is at his feet...