The concept of beauty during the Middle Ages consisted of the idea that beauty was directly correlated to spirituality. In other words, a person was judged as either good or bad based on their outer appearance, as well as their standing in society. Therefore, executions of beauty manifested in the arts was limited to only a certain class of individuals and was more determined by what a person’s status was in society. In addition, artwork of people was made to be mostly concentrated on the countenance, with artificially smooth skin, intentionally showing no sign of blemish or flaw unless by accident. A shift occurred during the Italian Renaissance, the human body in its entirety was celebrated among the masses and could be considered beautiful …show more content…
The Statue of David clearly shows how the Italian Renaissance had evolved their concept of beauty from the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages would have likely dubbed the Statue of David as being ethically or morally incorrect and perhaps stripping away some of the sanctity of the biblical story by placing the emphasis on the man David and his personal experience and physical form, rather than on God and more spiritual matters. Unlike the Middle Ages, the Italian Renaissance did not find the human body offensive at all; rather, during that time, the general consensus was for people to celebrate the body in its naked form for expressing the beauty of the individual and enhancing the religious text to a more personal, experiential level. Indeed, people could sense and relate to the emotions David must have felt during those moments before he went to battle. For instance, the fact that the Statue of David is absolutely naked elicits a feeling of vulnerability before going to battle. Also, a close-up look at David’s face reveals a furrowed brow and tightly pursed lips, and a close-up look at his hands shows large veins indicative of high blood pressure. These tighter focus observations are exemplary of the magnitude of tension and high levels of stress that David had to have felt …show more content…
For example, Petrarch focuses on describing not only the appearance of the doe, but her surroundings as well. Furthermore, he is so delighted by the beauty he sees in his beloved that he must drop everything and follow her at all costs; this fact exemplifies the Italian Renaissance’s cultural concept of beauty because the focus is on the poet’s infatuation with the outward beauty of his
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
Women weren’t always striving for a thin physique. In fact, women were once admired for their natural, God-given bodies. For Instance, during the Renaissance era (1400s- early 16th century) the more voluptuous a woman’s body was, the more she was desired (Kuchinsky). Painting...
Donatello’s first depiction of David was in 1408-1409 (early renaissance), commissioned by the Cathedral of Florence, who wanted to adorn the buttresses of the cathedral with statues of the twelve prophets. The sculpture was amongst Donatello’s earliest work. The David sculpted out of marble, stands in a sophisticated Gothic manner in slight contrapposto with a blank gaze. Almost, unaware of the fact that the head of his rival lays between his legs, to which a few art scholars have describe as cockiness for the reason of the subtle contort of his torso. The representation of David was a valuable element when it came to politics as well as a symbol of religion. Donatello was asked to craft the statue seem more human than a prophet and the pedestal that the sculpture is on reads: “PRO PATRIA FORTITER DIMICANTIBUS ETIAM ADVERSUS TERRIBILISSIMOS HOSTES DII PRAESTANT AUXILIUM (To those who fight bravely for the fatherland the gods lend aid even against the most terrible foes).” Which I like to believe, that it was meant for the people of Florence, they were words of encouragement since, Florence was a thri...
David by Michelangelo is a Renaissance masterpiece. This sculpture illustrates the biblical hero David represented as a standing male nude. The Renaissance humanist
At the time of the Renaissance, there was a great fascination with the human body. Michelangelo “sought after finding the ideal human form from his entire life” (historyand humanities). Michelangelo began his sculpture of David at the begging of the 16th century, where as Bernini’s came more than a century later. In Michelangelo’s version, the body of David is unrealistic. It shows the male form at the highest level of greatness, it appears almost “god-like”. Another interesting aspect of Michealangelo’s David is that the texture is more lustrous and has a greater flesh-like appearance. While Bernini focused more on telling a story with his sculpture, David designed his as a vessel for illustrating his version of the perfect human form.
The two spectacular pieces of art given by the well-known Donatello and Michelangelo, these sculptures of David present a variety of similarities and distinctness at the same time. They not only narrate the story of David, but also represent the state of political circumstances in Florence during the time when they were built. Where they have differences in physical appearances, at the same time they resemble each other in posture, and symbolization. These remarkable works by Donatello and Michelangelo certainly opened paths to variety in the art of sculpture.
The Victorians' obsession with physical appearance has been well documented by scholars. This was a society in which one's clothing was an immediate indication of what one did for a living (and by extension, one's station in life). It was a world, as John Reed puts it, "where things were as they seemed" (312).
Donatello’s David is not an aggressive symbol of power; it is in fact the opposite. The more lifelike size makes the statue more relatable and perhaps allowed the Renaissance people of Florence to identify with it more so than other statues, and by association, the Medici’s. Although Donatello’s David is about war, there are clear parallels that can be drawn between David and peace, and in turn, the Medici and peace . David wears a soft hat, traversed by flowers, while Goliath wears the helmet of war. In one hand, David holds the sword of Goliath, which can be seen to be visibly worn with notches and grooves on its surface, while in the other David is holding a rock which was supposedly used for his slingshot which felled the giant. In a sense, this could be a comparison which can be drawn to 14th Century Florence and the Medici, with Milan being the sword, as the aggressive and very much militarised force of the North, and Florence being the opposing weapon, the rock, and the cultured and persevering force of the
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.
At first glance, Michelangelo’s famed naked man may not scream “biblical hero.” But if you look closely, David cradles a sling over his left shoulder and clutches a rock in his right hand. These items and the statue’s name identify the subject as the David who faced down the vicious giant Goliath. Michelangelo broke from convention by not including the future king’s fearsome foe in his sculpture. In a further departure from tradition, art historians believe David depicts the legendary underdog before the great battle, in part because of the anxiety that’s clearly etched on his face.
Michelangelo's David reflect humanism and individuality. David is a 14 foot sculpture that portrays a nude of a man and shows the beauty of human body. This sculpture was based
What Kenseth conveyed to the readers was that Bernini’s David had movement because of his stance, and his facial expression showed strength, so that the subject matter had one meaning, dominance. Bernini had used the style of Renaissance, but still revealing to the viewer that he is from the Baroque era. Originally the source was biblical as stated by Scribner, “not Greco-Roman, a vital injection of Old Testament virtue into the cardinal’s pagan pantheon,” (Scribner 66). The first payment Bernini received for his David was 1623, and by 1624 the phenomenal artist was paid for his pedestal. Kenseth states in her article, “According to Baldinucci, it was finished in seven months” (Kenseth).
Haughton, N. (2004). Perceptions of beauty in Renaissance art. Journal Of Cosmetic Dermatology, 3(4), 229-233. doi:10.1111/j.1473-2130.2004.00142.x
The definition of beauty is varying among different people in the world. Even though almost everyone knows the term beauty, many people are struggling in defining it and persuading others to agree with their opinions. Beauty is defined by a combination of qualities existent in a person or thing that fulfills the aesthetic feels or brings about profound gratification. Many people define beauty as a term to describe a person’s physical appearance; they often think that beauty comes from magazines, video girls, or even models. Although the term beauty can define a person’s physical appearance, true beauty lies in the way one acts and thinks rather than the way one look.
Since the beginning of human history, humans have painted as a way to portrait special events in their lives. Later on, the invention of writing came and allowed humans another way to express themselves and their feelings. During the Renaissance, Europe experienced an increased interest in these 2 types of art; but it also lead to many problems between the people that practiced them. The main problem was the question of how was beauty better portrayed, through literature or visual art. It is obvious that many agree that beauty is better portrayed through visual arts because it is a more clear and simplistic way to express the beauty of someone or something. Visual arts can also be considered a universal “language” because although there are different styles, art continues to be art and can be appreciated by everyone.