Statues Of David

The pieces of art I will be comparing and contrasting are the three statues of David, by Donatello (Donato di NiccolÐ"І di Betto Bardi), Michelangelo (Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni), and Bernini (Gian Lorenzo Bernini). The statues are modeled after the biblical David, who was destined to become the second king of Israel. Also most famously known as the slayer of the Philistine giant Goliath with a stone and a sling. The sculptures are all based on the same biblical hero, but differ from one another. Each David is unique in its own certain way.

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 Ð'ј" 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 inspired by classical figures, he did not choose a Greek youth in his prime as a model for his David. Instead, he chooses a barely developed adolescent boy whose arms appeared weak due to the lack of muscles. After defeating Goliath, whose head lies at David's feet, he rests his sword by his side. It seems almost impossible that such a young boy as David could have accomplished such a task. The look portrayed on David himself too seems doubtful of the deed, as he glances down towards Goliath's head at his feet.

Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475, at Caprese, in Tuscany and died February 18th, 1564. The second sculpture is of Michelangelo's David, 1501-1504. Its material is marble, it stands 13' 5" and is currently located at the Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence. Michelangelo's David is based on the artistic discipline of disegno. It is said that under this discipline, sculpture is considered to be the finest form of art because of how it mimics divine creation. Michelangelo worked under the premise that the image of David was already in the block of marble he was working on, in much the same way that the human soul is thought to be found within the physical body (Michelangelo's David). Unlike the David of Donatello, Michelangelo's David is not shown after conquering his enemy. Instead, he is portrayed as an extremely athletic and manly character; the sculpture even depicts a worried look cast upon David's face and the carved marble veins seem to pulse with anticipation as he contemplates the upcoming fight. Cast over David's shoulder is his sling, and the stone is clutched in his right hand. Michelangelo's David depicts the ideal youth who has just reached manhood and is capable of great physical and intellectual feats, which is part of the classical tradition. Like Donatello's David it too is an example of the contrapposto style of posing the human figure.

Gianlorenzo Bernini, born in 1598 in Naples and died in Rome in 1680. His first works were inspired by Hellenistic sculptures that had been brought to Rome during imperial times. The last sculpture is Bernini's David, 1623, which is remarkably different from those of Donatello, and Michelangelo.