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.
This invention distinguish his David from any other David Statue before him. At Bernini’s ear, David was a popular subject in Italy. At that time Italy did not have a powerful central government, and cities were seeking for their independence. The story of David killed Goliath and won the independence of Israel was understand as a symbol of independent. Therefore the statue of David also had political meanings. The two most famous David were from Donatello and Michelangelo. Donatello made two David, one was marble and one was bronze, but the ideas behind them are same. Donatello’s David stood still. He had successfully achieve his goal and killed Goliath, whose head lying at his feet. Michelangelo’s David was nude and had perfect athletic muscles and proportion, and fairly smooth flesh. His body was so perfect that made him immortal and divine. He had not yet embarked on the actual combat but would departure instantly. He stood still confidently. Michelangelo’s David was actually much more vivid than Donatello’s. Nevertheless, when compared to Bernini’s David, even the former seems lack the sense of motion. Bernini made his David a mortal. Bernini expressed a man in the middle of his ferocious action in an ultra realistic
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.
Michelangelo was commissioned to build the statue for the establishment of a new republic in Florence, Italy. Michelangelo’s David shows the ideals of the male nude. His statue was meant to be looked at, and admired. The physical proportions of David are highly idealized and sought after. He isn’t fazed by Goliath and is so calm even when he knows he is going to fight him. Unlike Michelangelo, Bernini’s David is more about showing the action of the figure. Specifically, he is shown in action with his dramatized physical arrangement and exaggerated facial expressions. His muscles are shown as working really hard and there is so much tension in the sculpture, the viewer is more focused on what is happening than what David really looks like. While Michelangelo’s David focuses on the statue’s physical form, Bernini’s David focuses on the action of the
The statue of David best describes the ongoing influence of Protestant and catholic controversy on the visual arts. Michaelangelo uses David, a character from the Old Testament as his subject matter. The story goes that David, a mer man throws a stone with a slingshot at the mighty giant Goliath and kills him. (Your basic good vs. Evil.) Michaelangelo uses Clericism in this piece by incorporating a story from the bible, and on the other hand also incorporates his humanism influence into the work of art by placing himself as the character David; Giving us the impression that even the mer man can overcome his problems with knowledge of how to defeat them, instead of continually relying on the almighty to solve your problems for you. David shows the 2 conflicting views in a magnificent statue form.
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...
Influenced by individualist principles, early Renaissance sculpture was marked by a greater and more meticulous understanding of the human body. Donatello’s David brought to Italian culture a revival of the free-standing nude, prompting an appreciation for perfected human anatomy that is palpable throughout the remainder of the Renaissance and still noticeable in the artistic context of Western culture that follows. The peculiarity of the bronze statue from those of the preceding Middle Ages is archetypically Renaissance in nature; David's pose is nonchalant and his expression pensive, neither of which seems to coincide with the narrative chapter; the Biblical hero's soft body and lack of pronounced muscular development is often interpreted as uncharacteristically effeminate. While the statue’s nudity can be explain in terms of Biblical anthology, as David was said to have refused to wear armor to his battle with Goliath, the accessories in which he is clad seem nonsensical contextually—a laurel on his hat indicates that David was a poet, and the hat on his head is of a foppish Renaissance design. Perhaps most controversially, the statue’s presence has been interpreted as homosexual in nature; while homosexuality was usual in classical antiquity, during the time of the Renaissance such “sodomy” was illicit and believed to be heathen in nature. Donatello show's here, truly, a coalescence of Christian narrative with both the glory of ancient artists and the contemp...
Even with the fact that his David was depicted before the battle actually takes place, Michelangelo was probably inspired by concepts similar to the ones that inspired Donatello. Both artists intended to create artwork that would contrast feelings in Rome and that would make it possible for people in Florence to develop a sense of belonging to the state. Furthermore, with the Medici family sponsoring both artworks, it only seems natural that these artists wanted to create masterpieces that would trigger intense feelings in anyone seeing them and that would make the family and the city as a whole identify with David’s story.
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).
Goliath, a giant, had armor and a javelin whereas David only brought his sling and five rocks to battle. David triumphed and Goliath fell. People wanted to honor the biblical hero and had asked Michelangelo to make this sculpture in remembrance. While viewing the sculpture of David, you might not know exactly what era this was from. David was a part of a story in the Bible. In this era and region the people believed that this story was to be true. In the Renaissance era, they seem to have admired and appreciated the Bible a lot and were very religious
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...
...’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.
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.
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