Learning that there were actually different versions of David came as a surprise to me. I am not a fan of art and never expected to be interested in learning about sculpture. The three artists featured in this checkpoint all have a different styles for this same sculpture. I will cover each in an order that seems more logical because in a sense, I believe that the three David sculptures show different points in the war. Michelangelo’s David shows David in a mostly relaxed stance. There is great detail to his muscles and body structure. Most of his weight is on one leg and he seems to be focusing to his left as if he sees Goliath in the distance. It looks like this sculpture is to represent the moments before he attacks Goliath. The slingshot is over his shoulder and not yet in use. The hand holding the rock does look a little tense. Michelangelo sculpted a very masculine version of David and shows that he has a good understanding of how the human body functions.
Bernini’s David is in a very tense stance. You can see that he is in the midst of an attack. The sling shot is ready to go. The concentration on David’s face is clear, the use of the muscle groups needed to use the sling shot are pretty clear as you can see muscles in his legs and arms flexing. One difference in this version versus Michelangelo’s version is size. Bernini used a realistic size instead of a superhuman size. Another difference in this version is that it is a bit more modest, you can see that David is nude but his genitalia is covered by cloth.
The Essay on Bernini Sculptures
Religious themes were vital to sculpture in the 17th Century due to the Baroque style becoming popular. Bernini was one of the great sculptors and three sculptures by him which are religious are; ‘David’ 1624 (part of a commission to decorate the Borghese Villa), ‘Monument to Urban VIII’ (a work which took 19 years to complete) 1647, and ‘Ecstasy Of St Teresa’ (the work which furthered his career ...
Donatello’s David is very different from the Michelangelo and Bernini versions. In this version, the war is already over. David is standing completely relaxed with one leg propped up on Goliaths head. This sculpture is completely hollow and made mostly out of bronze. This version of David shows David as not very muscular at all, he looks weak and even a little feminine. He is wearing a soft hat and seems to be showing off proudly. He is holding Goliaths sword in his right hand and the single rock in his left. Donatello did not focus on body structure or on realistic movement like the other artists did. This seems to be a pose instead of a sculpture that shows motion.
Three different artists displaying three different times in the battle between David and Goliath. It is interesting to see what attributes each artist chooses to focus on in their sculptures.
References
Khan Academy . (n.d).
Retrieved from http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Donatello.html Khan Academy . (n.d).
Retrieved from http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Michelangelo-David.html Khan Academy . (n.d).
Retrieved from http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Bernini-David.html
