Donatello’s Bronze David
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (circa 1386 – December 13, 1466), better known as Donatello, created two representations of the Old Testament hero, David. It is clear that both of Donatello’s sculptures had political ideas imbedded in them as per the Medici’s request. The first version commissioned in 1408, made out of marble was a more gothic representation of a Biblical figure and more typical of Donatello's early work which was heavily influenced by his teacher Lorenzo Ghiberti. The second version of David, radically different from its predecessor, rejected traditional representations with its sensuous youth and nudity. The enormous differences on the style, pose and placement also gave different, underlying meaning to the statues.
Donatello’s first representation of David (commissioned in 1408) sculpted out of marble had very gothic undertones, the positioning of the legs suggests a classical contrapposto (relaxed stance, shifted weight), the figure takes on an elegant Gothic sway which are seemingly the influence of Lorenzo Ghiberti. In 1416 the David was commanded to be sent to Signoria of Florence’s palazzo as it was viewed as an effective political symbol for Florence as well as a religious hero.
The bronze representation of the boy hero, which is one of the defining creation of Donatello’s work is the first major nude of the Renaissance. The commission for the sculpture came from Cosimo Medici, and it was to be in his courtyard. As the commission was not a public undertaking, it allowed Donatello the ‘freedom to explore’ and artistic maturity. Speculations put the bronze David about the 1440s, however exact dates are unknown.
In the following paragraphs I will dive into the deeper meaning of...
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...dici in 1466 and the Pazzi Conspiracy assassinated Giovanni de’ Medici in 1478, but failed to kill Lorenzo de’ Medici” According to McHam the bronze David served its purpose as a propaganda tool to displaying the Medici family as tyrant slayers, preservers of liberty and protectors of the Florence against enemy threats, be it foreign or native. However it’s important to note that the threats were not against Republican values or the freedom of Florence rather the “Medici family’s hold on power.”
In conclusion, it might seem for the casual viewer that the meanings behind bronze David are the traditional Biblical connotations but with some research, it is apparent that there are deeper layers to consider. Let him be the symbol of platonic love or a political symbol for the Medici family, David was/is a larger influence on the Renaissance and the following periods.
Anticipated similarities exist between the Roman copy of Doryphorus and Donatello’s David, for the former replicates a product of Classical Greece while the latter is reminiscent of this artistic epoch (The Renaissance was a “re-birth” of this classical form). However, though formal qualities of Classical Greece may be present in David, they are uncharacteristically fashioned; therefore, major degrees of difference are established in terms of characterization. While Doryphorus is a typical example of reconciling idealism and naturalism, Polykleitos does not provide a depth of narrative subtext to this figure. On the other hand, Donatello overtly characterizes David through his effeminate if not androgynous form to deliver a powerful narrative (Duro). From the stance and posture of each sculpture to the use of nudity, Polykleitos’s Doryphorus and Donatello’s David present similarities accountable for in a historical context; however, the obvious structural differences must be
A little over 6 feet of marble, Donatello’s first version of David was one of his earliest known commisions that mark the beginning of his artistic career. He was commissioned by the Operai of the cathedral of Florence to create a David statue to decorate one of the buttresses. The statue ended up looking too small when placed high up, so it was taken down and later requested to be displayed in Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall. Many historians dismiss his first version of David, calling this piece unoriginal and nothing to praise.
During the time of the renaissance, Italy became the cultural center of Europe and of the renaissance (“Italian Renaissance”). Art had a major impact on the people of Italy during the Renaissance. Many pieces of art were seen as a metaphor for the people of Italy. Italy had independent city-states with their own governments (“Italian Renaissance”). Michelangelo’s sculpture “David” was an example of a sculpture seen as a metaphor. It represented the biblical hero from the story of David and Goliath was seen as a metaphor for the people of Italy against the government it reminded them that someone as small as David once defeated a giant(“Michelangelo Buonarroti”). Even though the arts were changing in Italy, the government was not doing so well. Michelangelo had training in humanism which in the renaissance artist’s art challenged the church and government, they also encouraged that others do the same (“Italian Renaissance”.) This led to many wars throughout this
Bernini’s “David” is 5 foot, 7 inches tall and was made in the year 1623. It is from the Baroque period, a time of discovery, exploration and increased trade. Bernini’s “David” is a three-dimensional sculpture that gives the viewer the ability to relate the image with one’s body and not only in one’s mind. Bernini wanted to show the intensity and dramatic tension in the hero David as he prepares to cast the stone from the sling. In contrast to the intensity of Bernini’s David, Michelangelo’s “David” looks much more contemplative, statuesque and less “life-like” than Bernini’s. This marble sculpture, unlike Michelang...
Where one is a bronze statue with a singular figure, the other is a painting with a central figure, from which the story is built. However, their contrasts go beyond what they are made of, to their different subjects and their complexity. Donatello’s David shows youthful beauty and strength, which he confidently exudes through his body language. Standing with one foot atop Goliath’s severed head while turning his body to balance his weight to the other leg, this statue is a clear example of Contrapposto, which the Greeks invented and introduced into their sculptures. Donatello’s statue of David stands triumphant and proudly atop his trophy, while telling the audience I am the conqueror of Giants. His expression is stern to match his
A good deal is known about Donatello's life and career, but little is known about his character. Donatello was born in Florence, Italy in 1386 and died in 1466; he was never married and had no children. He was a master of sculpture in bronze and marble and is considered to be one of the greatest Italian Renaissance artists of his time. The first sculpture is of Donatello?s David, 1425-1430. Its material is bronze and stands 5? 2 ¼? and is currently located at Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence. The sculpture is a nude and is contrapposto. The scene being depicted is after the clash with Goliath. Donatello?s statue of David was the first large scale, free-standing nude statue of the Renaissance. The sculpture helps to strike a balance between classicism and the realism by presenting a very real image of a boy in the form of a classical nude figure. Although Donatello was inspir...
Donatello was the son of Niccolo di Betto Bardi, a Florentine wool carder. It is not known how he started his career but probably learned stone carving from one of the sculptors working for the cathedral of Florence about 1400. Sometime between 1404 and 1407 he became a member of the workshop of Lorenzo Ghiberti who was a sculptor in bronze. Donatello’s earliest work was a marble statue of David. The “David” was originally made for the cathedral but was moved in 1416 to the Palazzo Vecchio which is a city hall where it long stood as a civic patriotic symbol. From the sixteenth century on it was eclipsed by the gigantic “David” of Michelangelo which served the same purpose. Other of Donatello’s early works which were still partly gothic are the impressive seated marble figure of St. John the Evangelist for the cathedral and a wooden crucifix in the church of Sta. Croce.
Donatello created many bronze sculptures. A huge achievement was his gilt bronze Herod’s feast. Another gilt bronze he made was St. Louis of Toulouse sculpture. One huge milestone was he made the first freestanding bronze naked bronze sculpture (Lewine par 2, 4). He designed twin bronze pulpit for San Lorenzo. The most important bronze sculpture was David was his first free-standing nude statue of the renaissance (“Donatello” par 2, 4).
These sculptures presented the body in a way no had ever seen before. Most of the sculptures were very detailed, had Greek and Roman classical influences, and were free standing with the often use of bronze to construct them. A few examples of sculptures are Michelangelo’s David, Moses, and Pieta. His David marble sculpture glorifies the human body and is standing in a contrapposto stance, with more weight on one leg. Contrapposto is very humanistic as it was used a lot by ancient Greek and Roman sculptures. The facial expressions as well were very individualistic and emotional. Michelangelo’s Pieta was the most “perfect” block of marble he had ever used. This sculpture is Mary holding the dead body of Christ before he was placed in the tomb. The proportions of the body are not entirely natural in relation to the other as Mary’s body appears much larger than Christ’s. Michelangelo’s Moses was another example of a sculpture in the Renaissance. This sculpture is very large and shows the power of the man which gave people even more ideas about the
The negative spacing help with positive spacing that help bring things forward such as his muscles. The texture seems to be smooth. Time and movement does seem too existed because he is just standing there. Donatello use basic color to complete “David” with bronze that comes off to the eyes as black. Variety is the most prominent element and principle. The sculpture came from a story in the bible and in the small little visual Donatello basically told the whole story. Everything seemed to flow together perfectly. If it did not flow together perfectly, then the art work would not have come off the way it did in such a great
...’s David fell prey to the image of a hero that was limited to the use of force and pride, while the marble statue done by Michelangelo wanted to show that no matter how great something/someone may seem; it is important to remember that there is a flaw in greatness and that it must be recognized before it consumes the entirety of the being. The marble statue of David is both menacing and beautiful, emphasizing the importance of inner strength over outer strength. This concept is something the appeared frequently in Biblical text and communicated to the people that there is no need to rely on the strength of gods or others. Classical Antiquity inspired the people of Florence to continue the legacy of a great empire and create an independent city-state of values that is reflected though astounding masterpieces that served a greater purpose than cathedral decorations.
The Italian Renaissance and the Baroque era are two major periods in art history, some of the types of art in those periods were painting, sculpting, and architecture. During these periods, many artist gained enormous fame from creating wonderful pieces of work that represented their beliefs and artistic thinking. This essay will analyze and evaluate two pieces from those major art periods. Rembrandt 's painting The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp and the sculpture David, by Michelangelo. These two masterpieces shed light of their significance in art history. David represents the Italian Renaissance for it being a strong symbol of the new republic, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp depicts the focus on human progression.
Michelangelo’s David does not react with the surroundings but it stands alone with the little movements disguised behind it. The sculpture brings out David as a soldier preparing for war and not a person engaged in a battle (Miller, Vandome, & McBrewster, 2010). The hands are larger than normal and the arms are longer than his body. This is meant to illustrate the renaissance period. In contrast, the Bernini’s David has aspects of motion, showing that he was already engaged in the battle with Goliath. The idea of movement is enhanced by the loosely flowing robes. In addition, the sculpture demonstrates that unlike Michelangelo’s David that has longer hands, Bernini’s David has contracted muscles. The Michelangelo’s sculpture was created during Renascence period while the Bernini’s sculpture was done during the Baroque period.
Not only did David want to do this but his artistic viewpoints wanted him to reflect the use of propaganda to others through art in the Neoclassical era. In other words, he wanted to depict through the painting how politics during the French Revolution were taken sternly and had serious repercussions in a sort of misleading way. In the same way, if you did not fit into the rest of society and you stood out you were labeled as a target. As we see Marat was murdered by Corday who was seen as his political enemy. In the meantime, through the style of David’s painting, we see the use of iconography or “the study or description of images and symbols” . Here in this painting of The Death of Marat, we see the main image (i.e. Marat) being used as more than just the centerpiece of the work rather, the symbol of the work which means there is more to this work than just The Death of Marat. Strangely enough, we can see the use of iconography when comparing The Death of Marat to an almost political Christ of his people. Meaning that Marat was killed for his religious beliefs/political beliefs and died for his people as that of Christ did with his religious beliefs. Incidentally, we can say that “David’s clear
The David’s that we are going to compare are all within the Renaissance time period and by comparing them you can see the shifts in thought and viewpoint within that period. The three statues of David by Donatello, Verrocchio, and Michelangelo all are great depictions of this story while portraying values of the Italian Renaissance period. They have many things in common while also having their own