There have been many states of David sculpted by famous artists like Donatello, Verrocchio, and Michelangelo. Bernini’s version of David and is about to begin his attack on Goliath, as he appears posing. The statue seems to be moving through space and the action suggests that the action of flinging the stone requires a lot of room around David. The statue forces the observer to look past the actual subject and focus more on the surroundings.
He seems to have very muscular legs, and appears to be ready to turn and throw a stone from his sling. This is the most dramatic pose that Bernini could have picked and was chosen because it shows a sudden burst of energy and a moment of suspense as well. Bernini’s David is different from that of other artists because there is an expression of concentration that makes the statue a more imposing piece of artwork. Donatello’s David was created for the courtyard of the Palazzo Medici. The statue takes on a different pose, and was one of the first free-standing nude statues of the ancient world. l when compared to Bernini’s, it is more classical.
Bernini’s rendition is posing and relaxed like a Greek god would be. Donatello made the ancient Greek style popular during this time. Donatello’s David has long flowing hair and has one of his legs placed firmly on top of the head of Goliath, representing his victory over the behemoth. He portrayed David as the slayer of Goliath and as a symbol of the independent republic of Florentine.
The Essay on Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath
Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath is a truly important picture expressing art’s underlying paradigm, every painter paints himself, in a clear and unmistakeable way. It was reported in the mid-seventeenth century that both heads, Goliath’s and David’s, are self-portraits at different stages of life though David is described as “il suo Caravaggino”, or in English “his ...
Verrocchio’s David has a more classical look. It has similar features as that of Donatello’s. In addition, it is different from the narrative form that Bernini created. Verrocchio shows David standing over the giant’s head with pride. This bears resembles Donatello’s David where David is standing with a foot on top of his oppressor. Michelangelo was another artisan who portrayed David in a unique matter.
He didn’t represent David standing over a defeated Goliath, but instead made him look like he was patiently awaiting his enemy. The body has a very classical form and is muscular and very tense. The form makes David look powerful. Michelangelo made David very strong with well defined features, i and even included enlarged hands to show the viewer of the strength that David had before attacking Goliath. Unlike other versions at the time, Michelangelo didn’t create a version of a prideful David, but instead a David who was amongst or aware of his enemy. Donatello, Verrochio’s, and Michelangelo’s figures compare in the sense that none of them show any physical activity and are shown as prideful as they stand over oppressors.
Bernini’s rendition of David is unique in the sense that he creates a more narrative figure instead of one that is poised and more classical in style. Protestants strongly believed that imagery presented in the church could cause people to venerate figures in statues rather than focus all their attention on God during the Counter-Reformation.
